Independent
by Dark-Angel-Addict
Summary: ((AU.)) Summer fun for our favorite couple? Of course not. Not when you're Max and Logan. Do I see sexual tension?... Chapter 11 updated: Revelation Part 3. R & R.
1. No parents Yay!

**Inspired by:** "Summer Magic" by katerpillar and "More than just a Summer Fling" by Jade-Tessier

**Dedicated to:** all the M/L fans out there.

**Disclaimer**: Dark Angel belongs to James Cameron and Charles Eglee but not me, unfortunately.

**Warning:** This story is _completely _AU, so take it or leave it. It's 2020 and the Pulse hit in 2009. Max is 17 and Logan is 18. They live in Los Angeles, California. Max is an X5 who escaped from Manticore in '09 and now lives with foster parents whom found her and Alec after they escaped. Logan's parents are alive.

There's more to it so just read on...

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Chapter 1 - No Parents. Yay!

Max Guevara slammed the front door shut. Her long curly hair swayed from side to side as she walked towards the kitchen to pick up a glass of milk from the fridge. It was the first day of summer and outside was scorching hot. Her small red tank top clinged onto her sweaty skin revealing her curves and well-defined abs. Just as she was about to leave for the showers, her foster mom came into the kitchen and bumped into her.

"Oh, Max! Had fun in the gym? Listen, your dad and I will be leaving tomorrow for our business trip in Chicago so you and Alec will be in charge of keeping the house tidy. Remember to keep yourselves safe. We'll be leaving momentarily. I'm waiting for your dad to come home so we can leave," Her mom said in a hurry while stuffing folders and disks in a suitcase at the same time.

"Sure thing, ma. I've got nothing to do all summer anyway...don't know about Alec though," Max said with a look of disgust on her face.

"Well, he better not get himself into any trouble...and you keep watch on him all summer for me, dear."

"Aww ma, he's already 18! He's old enough to take care of himself!"

"That's why he needs to be looked after...especially in the summer when all types of girls roam the beaches."

"Fine," Max said with an exasperated sigh.

Just then, her foster dad walked into the kitchen with files and suitcases tucked under both of his arms.

"Hiya, Max. Your mother and I are running late. We really gotta go."

Max left the house and helped her parents carry their suitcases into the trunk of their car. Max gave each of her foster parents a tight goodbye hug.

"Lay low and keep you and your brother out of trouble, Max. You know the drill."

"Yadda Yadda. I know, dad. You've told us many times."

"Well, your mother and I just want to keep you and Alec safe. You know we love you two with all our hearts..."

Just when his dad was about to finish his sentence, in perfect timing, Alec's Mustang screeched to a stop in front of his parents' Mercedes and then he abruptly got out. Loud hip-hop music echoed from the stereo of his car as he ran over to the passengers' side and said something to some blonde girl in the passenger seat. He then took off his Pacific Sun sunglasses and ran as fast as his X5 abilities could take him over to his parents and sister.

"We love you too, dad ...and mom!!," Alec said as he wrapped his left arm around his sister's waist.

"Give me a break, Alec," Max said slapping his hand away.

"I thought you wouldn't show up."

"Oh dad, how could you think so unhighly of me? I'm always on time."

"Well, I hope you keep it that way. We really gotta go. The plane leaves at 6...and its a quarter to 6 already," His dad said while motioning at his watch.

"I'll be calling, mom," said Max.

With another wave of goodbye, the Mercedes sped away.

"Well well well, looks like its just you and me, huh Maxie. We'll be having so much fun over the summer, wouldn't we?," Alec said as he put his arm around Max's shoulders.

"I don't know about "we" but I will be. Besides, its not like mom and dad be gone long enough for you and your buddies to have a road trip over to Florida," Max said with a hint of sarcasm.

"Heheh...oh Maxie. You're missing out on all the fun. All you do is read and go to the gym on your baby...you really gotta do something else, like coming to the beach with me one of these days."

"I'll think about it," Max said abruptly as she walked back into the house.

"Well, I gotta go. Don't wanna keep my lady friend waiting." Alec said with a smirk.

"Ick...just spare me the details and go."

"'K. Just page whenever you need me. Chao!." With that, Alec ran over to his Mustang, said something to his lady friend and sped away towards the beach.

_Whatever will I do this summer? Hm...maybe I'll call OC up and see what she's doing. _Max thought to herself as she watched her brother's Mustang speed away from the Guevara family's considerably-large two-story house.

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_A/N Ok, that was a short chapter but it is my first fan fic so you can't expect too much from me. I've wanted to write a Max and Logan fanfic for a while now but never had the time and motivation to do so. A sudden muse just hit me and I just started typing this up, so this chapter might be bad for some people's liking. I don't have a beta yet so if anyone wants to beta for me, just say so. Summer vacation starts in four days for me so hopefully, I'll be updating often. I have some idea where this story might go, but if you guys have any suggestions, just email me and I'll think about it. I promise the next chapter will be longer!_

_-- Jade (DarkAngelAddict)_


	2. A night at the beach

**I noticed a few "errors" in this chapter so its a little revised.**

**Special thanks:** to all the reviewers from Chapter 1: Huntress k, Lolly81, Babyangel86, Firmament, All Grown Up, idlehands452, GUEVERACALE452

ZombieGurl98 - I tried my best not to make Logan stiff. LoL.

NoAngell - I won't be abandoning my story. I'm not like some people cough cough

Original D - definitely read "Summer Magic" - its one of the best M/L fics ever written, in my opinion.

ML fan – thanks a bunch for beta-ing this chapter.

Once again, thank you to for all the encouraging reviews! It made my day. You don't know how happy I was to know that people were actually reading this story. LOL.

And without further ado, a longer chapter (as promised)...

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Chapter 2: A Night At The Beach  
  
A hip-hop ringtone rang for the second time that day. An African-American girl, looking very very irritated, flipped open the phone and answered.  
  
"Yo, whoever's callin bettah make it quick cuz Original Cindy's busy." The girl said with an attitude similar to Max's.   
  
"Chill, Cindy. It's just me."  
  
A whisper was heard in the background as Max enhanced her hearing to listen to her best friend.  
  
"Max, this better be good 'cuz Original Cindy had to turn down this fine sexy-mama to talk to ya." Her voice was angry.   
  
"Nothin', just wondering if you got any ideas for us to do over the summer."  
  
Original Cindy paused, then her voice blasted through the phone. "Girl, that's all you gonna ask Original Cindy?!? Why don't you just come to the beach? You know I'll be workin' here all summer.The boss cannot stop his 'bip bip bippings and one of these days, Original Cindy is gonna explode. If he ain't my boss, Original Cindy would've gotten his ass kicked all the way to Seattle. It's all worth it for the fine lickety-chicks I get to meet. Woo, talkin about lickety-chicks...there was this fine ass Asian chick I met while...."  
  
"OC! I go for the other team, remember?" Max said cutting Original Cindy off, not wanting to hear anymore of her lesbian stories.   
  
"..anyway, boo, you gotta come to the beach today. They be having this annual end of the school-year party."  
  
"Sounds like fun. Oh, mind if I get a job at the beach too?"  
  
"Original Cindy will see what she can do."  
  
"Thanks, boo. I owe you." Max said while walking upstairs to her bedroom.  
  
"Anything for you, sistah." Original Cindy hung up.  
  
"Shit, now what should I wear?" Max said to herself as she went through her closet.  
  
After frantic searches and piles of clothes stacked up on the floor, Max chose a black side-tie hipster two-piece bikini to wear for the occasion.   
  
_Hmm... a little too revealing. Maybe I need something to cover up some skin..._ Max thought as she looked thoroughly at herself in the mirror.   
  
Another frantic search and she had found what was missing. To complete the outfit, she wore a sarong that draped around her hips. _Perfect. Now to see Kendra's reaction. _  
  
The doorbell rung eight times sporadically creating a special code only Max and her best friends could recognize.  
  
"I'll be right there, Kendra!"   
  
"Hurry up, Max. My boyfriend is waiting for me at the beach!!"   
  
After a few minutes, Max swung the front door open to an impatient Kendra. At the sight of Max, Kendra's mouth immediately gaped open with shock.   
  
"Damn, Max. You're wearing that tiny thing?! You gotta be insane! Do you want every boy in the beach worshipping at your feet or something?" Kendra asked as she scrutinized Max's outfit. Max spun around for Kendra, enjoying her reaction to the bikini.  
  
"Kendra, your mind is getting into the gutter again. Anyway, I just wanna look good for once."   
  
"Max, with that body of yours...you'll look good no matter what you wear."  
  
"Thanks, Ken. Right back at ya."   
  
"K, enough small talk. We gotta go." Kendra said with a slight blush.  
  
Max locked the door to her house and walked over to Kendra's red convertible.

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Sunset illuminated the Californian beach as music echoed through the band stage while a no-name band sung their latest single. Luminous lights surrounded the beach house as teenagers gathered around to hear the newest California rock-band play. The waves were calm, providing a sense of relief and calmness into the air. Small tables were situated alongside the beach house as waiters and waitresses waited on the customers; Original Cindy being one of them.   
  
Max and Kendra stood by the sand and marveled at the energetic atmosphere of the beach until they heard a familiar Jamaican voice scream their names.  
  
"Yo, Max and Kendra...my sistahs! Ova here! Jah and I happy to see you girls, mah sistahs."   
  
From a distance, they could see Herbal Thought waving at them and motioning at the table; he had saved a table for five in the center of the party. Hand in hand, afraid to get lost in the crowd, Max and Kendra hurried over to Herbal.   
  
"Herbal! Thanks for the seat, my man."   
  
"Anything for mah sistahs." They exchanged hugs. Max and Herbal talked, as Kendra was busy spotting for her new boyfriend and staring openly at random guys.   
  
"Herbal, you really gotta stop calling me and Ken sistahs...we really aren't related to you at all." Max said as she sat down on the wooden chair next to Herbal.  
  
"Ah, but you girls ARE my sistahs...says so by Jah, the Almighty." Herbal said a matter-of-factly as he raised both of his hands to emphasize "Jah. "  
  
Max just laughed knowing she can never change Herbal's ways. She watched as loud music blasted through the speakers as people got up to dance to the beat of the music.   
  
"Whoo hoo hoo, this place is the shit.", said a voice from behind them.   
  
"Sketchy!"  
  
Sketchy, the wacky-class clown exchanged greeting hugs with his three friends.   
  
"Ah, my mon, welcome to the craziness."  
  
"Wow, you look smokin' today, Max." Sketchy noticed Max's outfit for the first time and looked her body up and down appreciatively.  
  
"Sketchy, you look at me like that again, and you're gonna get your ass kicked!" Max said as she slapped Sketchy on the back of his head, letting his bright yellow visor fall to the floor.   
  
"Ok, Ok...chill out. I was just complimenting you on your beauty." He waved his hand up and down her body.  
  
_Slap._  
  
"Ow! Sorry!...for being nice." Sketchy rubbed the back of his head in pain.   
  
_SLAP._  
  
"AH!" He fell to the floor, rubbing his throbbing head.  
  
Max was just about to hit him again when Herbal intruded the fight... Max's fight.   
  
"Boys and girls, stop the violence. You will get Jah angry, I say." Herbal said as he stood between Max and Sketchy.  
  
"For now!" Max said as she pointed a threatening finger at Sketchy.   
  
"Whatever. Oh!!...look, that cute chick needs my utmost attention!" Sketchy said hurriedly to get away from Max's sudden violent outburst. He stumbled clumsily to pick up his yellow visor and ran towards some random girl knowing Max's eyes were still pointing daggers at him.  
  
"Men, they're just disgusting sometimes." Max said as she sat down and gulped down her icy cold lemonade completely.  
  
"Whoop, there's my boy! I'll catch you guys later!" said Kendra as she ran over to her unknown boyfriend.   
  
"Wow, I don't think I know any of these people." Max said as she led her eyes wander to Kendra's new boyfriend and then the people hanging out around the beach house.   
  
"They are from the other part of Los Angeles. Ah, Sketchy calls them 'rich snobs.'"   
  
Just when Max was about to comment on how whore-ish the rich girls looked, a guy caught her attention. Somehow, the guy seemed different to her than any other guy on the beach. He wore a tight white sleeveless T-shirt and a red swim trunk. His dirty blonde hair was spiked up, disheveled and wet with water. Max heightened her vision and noticed how sexy he looked with his unshaved stubble. He was wearing a pair of black sunglasses so it was hard to see his eyes, which was all Max wanted to do. The guy was talking to his group of guy friends, smiled and then ran his fingers through his wet hair. The smile was so heartwarming that Max just had to smile herself.   
  
_Whoa, why am I getting so worked up over this rich kid? Is it heat? Nah. It's not due for another month. _  
  
"Who you starin' at, boo?"   
  
"Max!" Original Cindy had blocked her vision. OC's chest suddenly came into view and the cute guy was out of her sight. She was staring so intently that she had no idea Herbal had left and that Original Cindy had been asking her a question.  
  
"Hey! Move over, Cindy!" she said angrily as she pushed Original Cindy aside. To her surprise, the guy was gone. _What a disappointment._  
  
"Who you starin' at, boo?"  
  
"Nothin' just daydreaming, that's all." Max said abruptly to change the subject.   
  
"Aww, Max has got a little crush, doesn't she??" Original Cindy said trying to push Max's buttons. Max was not surprised at all at how well Original Cindy knew her and didn't feel like dealing with her just now.   
  
"I need a drink." Max left Original Cindy staring and wondering what was up with her best friend. Max, on the other hand, didn't care and set out to get another glimpse of the guy.

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"Logan!"   
  
A tall girl wearing a Hawaiian two-piece bikini covered by a long white T-shirt, which failed to hide anything, ran towards her boyfriend. Her short, unmistakably, blonde hair became visible from under the luminous nightlight. She leaned onto her boyfriend's chest, tiptoed and gave him a quick kiss on the lips.  
  
"You're finally done surfing."  
  
"Hey, babe." Logan said as he wrapped an arm around her girlfriend's shoulders.  
  
"Damn, this place is crowded, bro. Got some nice lookin' ladies here, though." Bling said as he checked out all the girls.   
  
"Good thing I met Alec while we were playin' basketball, man. Or else I would've never known about this place. And the surf is hot, you gotta try it out, Bling."   
  
"Beats the computers anytime." said Sebastian carrying his wet surfboard.  
  
"Yo, find us a table, Logan. Gettin' sick of standing here like bums." said Sung, another one of Logan's friends, who can't keep his hands off of his girlfriend.   
  
"Chill out, Sung. It's not that easy finding a table in this huge crowd, y'know."  
  
"Just steal someone elses' or push 'em out."  
  
"Sung, sometimes I wonder how you're ever going to become one with the police." Logan smiled.  
  
"A guy can dream, right?"  
  
Logan's group walked through the crowd of hyperactive teenagers. He noticed an empty table with five seats right in the center of the party and motioned for his friends to come over.   
  
"Hey, wutcha think you're doing, hotboy? This here is Original Cindy's table." OC appeared and pushed Logan on the shoulder.   
  
"Who's Original Cindy?" Logan asked with a confused look on his face.  
  
"That's me. Right in front of yo face." And indeed, OC was right in front of Logan's face, threatening him to find another table.  
  
"Oh, my bad, Original Cindy. You can have your table back." Logan said with an attitude and left.   
  
_Hotboy definitely wants to have his ass kicked! Only Max dares to talk back to me like that! _  
  
Logan and his group of friends found a table close to where Original Cindy's table was. Bling and Sebastian started flirting with the local girls around their table and Sung and his girlfriend left to use the "bathroom". The band onstage started playing a catchy slow pre-pulse song by Michelle Branch.   
  
"I love this song, Logan. Let's dance." Logan's girlfriend, Asha grabbed his hand and led him onto the center of the dance floor. His hands traveled down to her waist and held her close.

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Meanwhile...

Alec grabbed her sister's hand.  
  
"Sis, I knew you'd show up! C'mon, let's dance."  
  
"Alec, not now. I'm not in the mood." Max said in a childish tone as Alec led her onto the dance floor. Somehow, her mind was still on the guy she knew nothing about yet she cannot get out of her mind.

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	3. Where are you now?

**Inspired by:** "Summer Magic" by katerpillar and "More than just a Summer Fling" by Jade-Tessier

**Disclaimer**: Dark Angel belongs to James Cameron and Charles Eglee but not me, unfortunately or else Max & Logan would've gotten together a long time ago.

**Thanks to:** all who reviewed...made my day. A special shout-out to ML fan for beta-ing this chapter for me.

It seems that M/A stories are dominating FF right now, and that just depresses me. Where are all the M/L shippers?? Where is the love? This chapter is for you guys...

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A/N : Lyrics are from "Where are you now?" by Michelle Branch from her latest CD, Hotel Paper.

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Chapter 3- Where are you now?  
  
"What's wrong, Max? You seem distracted by something. You okay? Are your seizures starting? Need your meds?"   
  
Alec's voice was filled with concern as he started bombarding his sister with questions. Max, on the other hand, paid no attention to her brother. Instead, her attention was fixated on someone else. Her heart practically skipped a beat as she noticed the guy for the second time that night. Not only was he dancing with a girl but he was holding her a little too close for Max's liking. Max now came to the conclusion that she had no chance with him; they were both different in more than one way and he had a girlfriend...and a pretty one at that. Still, she couldn't help but stare at him and wish that there were some way to get to know him better.   
  
**"Maybe I'd be better on my own  
No one ever seems to understand me  
It's easier for me to be alone  
But there's still a piece of me that feels so empty"**

Asha halted her constant babble once she realized Logan wasn't paying any attention to her at all. Asha leaned back and looked at her boyfriend, who appeared to look as if he was in a world of his own. She noticed that his eyes were focused on something else...or was it _someone_ else?  
  
"Oh Loogie, what's wrong? You seem distracted." Asha said in a whiny, childish voice.  
  
Logan's eyes were fixated on a girl, a beautiful girl he knew nothing about yet he couldn't keep his eyes off of. Her pareo fell down to her hips as Logan tried to tear his gaze away from her tan body, which was covered by an oh-so-revealing bikini. 

Max, on the other hand, admired how well toned the guy's body was as she gazed down at his sleeveless T-shirt, which failed to hide his well-defined abs.

**"I've been all over the world  
I've seen a million different places  
But through the crowds and all the faces  
I'm still out there looking for you."**  
  
Max and Logan's eyes met briefly and time stopped.   
Nothing else mattered anymore; they were oblivious to everyone and everything except for the person staring back at them. Their eyes were filled with hope and possibly a longing for something they had been searching for.   
  
**"Where are you now?  
I'm trying to get by with never knowing at all  
What is the chance of finding you out there?  
Or do I have to wait forever?"**   
  
Max and Logan lost sight of one another as another couple situated themselves between them, blocking their intensive stares. Logan pealed his hands off of Asha and quickly sidestepped the couple that had blocked his view. Unfortunately, to his disappointment, the girl was gone.   
  
"Logan! What's gotten into you? I was just asking you a question before and you ignored me like I wasn't your girlfriend at all!" Asha's high-pitched cry echoed through the crowd as attention slowly became situated on her.   
  
"Where are you going, honey?!" Asha grabbed Logan's hand. Logan shook off her hand and walked away obliviously. Asha held onto the hand Logan had pushed away and stood there in the middle of the dance floor gaping. Her expression was that of shock and anger. She looked as if she was about to burst out and cry her eyes out. The people whom witnessed the incident simply stared at her amazingly and went on with their party a few seconds later.  
  
**"I write about the things I'll never know  
And I can't find a moment just to slow down  
It makes me think I'll never have the chance  
To figure out what it's all about  
So tell me what it's all about."**  
  
At the loss of the eye contact, Max let go of her brother. She pushed the couple in front of her aside, but when she saw that the guy wasn't there, she enhanced her vision to locate him. Max pushed through couple after couple as Alec continued to follow her. Shouts and curses were made as Max pushed her way through drunk and hot-tempered teenagers. Alec, following her from behind, had to apologize for Max, often pulling out dollar bills from his pockets to shut them up.   
  
"You sooo owe me for this, Maxie."  
  
Max continued strolling.  
  
"Who ARE you looking for anyway?" 

**"Where are you now?  
I'm trying to get by with never ever knowing at all  
And I still don't know"**  
  
Logan paced through the dance floor hastily, bumping into angry teenage couples along the way. As he approached the end of the crowd, he made a 180-degree turn and searched again.  
  
**"Where are you now?  
I'm trying to get by with never ever knowing at all  
What is the chance of finding you out there?"**  
  
Max halted her pacing momentarily and glanced around her to see if he was anywhere to be seen. Alec stood behind Max and gazed at her with amusement. After no luck finding him, Max paced through the enormous crowd again.   
  
"Maybe if you tell me who this person is or what this person looks like, then maybe, just maybe, I could help find him or her for you, Max." Alec said with sarcasm as he continued to follow his sister. When she didn't reply, Alec merely rolled his eyes in surrender and continued trailing her.  
  
**"Or do I have to wait?"**  
  
Logan ran through the dance floor and stopped to lean down and catch his breath.  
  
**"Or do I have to wait?"**  
  
Max ran through the crowd and stopped, as the music was just about to fade.   
  
**"Or do I have to wait forever?"**   
  
The song ended with a guitar solo as the crowd cheered and hooted. Logan quickly leaned upwards after he was done catching his breath. Suddenly, something hard and pointy hit him on the top of his head and he cried out in pain.   
  
"Ow!" Max and Logan screamed in unison. As Logan was getting up, his head had hit Max's chin.   
  
They both held onto each other as they regained consciousness after the violent blow. A shiver immediately went through each of their bodies from the sudden skin-to-skin contact. After regaining consciousness, Logan looked down upon the girl he had stumbled into and smiled as he realized who it was. The pain on his head was forgotten at once.   
  
"Hi." was all Logan could say. For once in his life, Logan was speechless. The beautiful girl he was holding onto took his breath away.   
  
"Hi." Max said awkwardly as she smiled at the guy she had been looking for all night.   
  
"You okay?" Logan leaned down, touched her chin and examined it for any bruises.  
  
"I'm good." Max's skin tingled at the sudden contact.  
  
"Sorry about this." Logan pointed at her chin and looked down at her apologetically.  
  
"No big dealio." Max shrugged. She looked up to get a closer look at the guy's handsome features and once again, her eyes found Logan's green-blue eyes. Max's chocolate-colored eyes, which were filled with so much emotion and secrets, mesmerized Logan.   
  
Both of them were fully aware of how close both of their faces and lips were. Neither one of them were willing to break the contact. For them, the world had just stopped and the universe was right on schedule, as Logan's mother  
would've put it. They had found what they were looking for and were afraid to let go. Their chemistry was unmistakable as they continued to gaze upon one another. After a few long seconds, Logan reluctantly broke the gaze, afraid of what it'll lead into.   
  
Unwillingly, Logan stepped back and held his right hand out for Max to shake.  
  
"Logan Cale." Logan said in a husky voice.   
  
Max smiled and put her small hand on his and to her surprise, it felt right, as if his hand was made to fit hers.  
  
"Max Guevara."  
  
Logan smiled his thousand-watt smile and shook hands with Max.  
  
_Finally found you._ They both thought with relief.


	4. A New Tomorrow

**Disclaimer**: Read previous chapters'

Thank you all for reviewing! And many thanks to **ML fan** for being my beta. You guys rock!

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_A/N: Italics are the thoughts of the characters._  
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**Chapter 4 – A New Tomorrow**  
  
Max and Logan's hands remained entwined with one another as they continued to gaze into each other's eyes.  
  
Alec, breaking their staring trance, appeared from the crowd. "Is it getting hot in here or is it just me?" He quipped as he gazed knowingly from Max to Logan then Logan to Max. The sexual tension between the two of them was more than evident.   
  
Max and Logan both turned their attention to him. "Alec." They said in unison.   
  
Almost abruptly, they let go of each other's hand. Logan stepped back. Max simply stared at Alec.   
  
He strolled up to her. "What happened to your chin?" Alec said as he pointed at the tiny bruise on her sister's chin.   
  
She frowned. "Nothing. Chill out, Alec."   
  
_Is Max his girlfriend? Nah. Can't be... I hope._ "My fault. I accidentally bumped into her." Logan interrupted, as Alec was just about to make another one of his wisecracks.   
  
Alec stepped right in front of Max, blocking her view. "Logan! What's up, buddy?" He did a special handshake with Logan, leaving a bewildered Max gazing openly at her brother's bare back. _You've gotta be kidding me. _  
  
Logan half-hugged Alec. "Glad to see you here, man." Logan said as he slapped his friend on the back. Max, staring from behind, was shocked at Logan's easiness with her brother. In fact, Logan's easiness with Alec was making her slightly uncomfortable.   
  
Alec pulled back. "So how'd you like this place?" He asked nonchalantly as he examined the noisy dance floor around them.   
  
Logan looked around him to see couples making out, crazy teenagers dancing wildly to the music and drunken boys trying to score themselves a date for the night. "It's cool." He replied just the same.   
  
Max, still hidden behind Alec, was quite amused at the exchange between the two boys.  
  
"So, where are Bling and everyone?"   
  
Logan laughed. "They're here...checking out all the ladies." His friends were teenage boys after all.   
  
Alec smirked knowingly. "So, Logan, where's this new girlfriend of yours?" He raised his brow in curiosity. Logan's girlfriend, apparently, was the talk of the town. She was rich and incredibly attractive, as Alec was told.   
  
Logan's thoughts went back to when he had left a fuming Asha alone on the dance floor. "Ah...um...she's..."   
  
Max cleared her throat and coughed at the mention of Logan's girlfriend.   
  
Alec turned his head around to look at Max, who had her hands folded across her chest, gazing angrily back at him. "Oh, Max. Sorry. I forgot all about you." Max raised an eyebrow.  
  
Alec got the hint. "Ahem, Max.... this is Logan, who I think you've met already." He stood beside Logan, who was a few inches taller than him, and put his elbow on his friend's shoulders.   
  
His hand motioned towards Max. "Logan, this is my sister, Max."   
  
Max and Logan stared at each other apprehensively.   
  
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Asha sat alone on the table Logan had saved for their group and absentmindedly sipped her lemonade. She had turned down multiple guys as they had tried to score a date with her as she was walking to her table. Deep thoughts ran through her mind as she pondered about her newly found relationship with Logan. _Am I not good enough for Logan? I've always been there for him. I tried whatever I could to please him. Hell, we've been together for more than four months now but sometimes, I just don't feel like he likes me as much as I like him. God, what the hell am I doing wrong?_  
  
Bling and Sebastian, laughing uncontrollably, with beers in their hands, approached the table.   
  
"Man, you should've seen that girl!"   
  
Sebastian let out a snort. "She was all over you!"   
  
Bling, still laughing, sat down at the table with a snickering Sebastian. Bling's attention slowly became fixated on a distressed-looking Asha. "Something wrong, Asha?" Sebastian's snickering turned into a frown.   
  
Asha glanced over at Bling and then Sebastian. "Nothing." She said as she came back to reality.  
  
Asha grabbed Bling's beer bottle from the table and gulped down the liquid. "It's about Logan, isn't it? There's trouble in paradise?" Bling asked a matter-of-factly.  
  
She slammed down the empty beer bottle on the table at the mention of his name. "Where'd you get that from?" Asha snapped.  
  
"Isn't it always about him?"   
  
"Where is he anyway?" Sebastian interrupted.   
  
Asha really didn't know what to say. She was frustrated yet confused. "He left."  
  
"What do you mean, 'he left'?" Bling asked confusingly.   
  
Asha's mind went back to when Logan had shook off her hand and ignored her pleas to come back to her. "He saw something, or someone and left." Asha said simply.  
  
"That's Logan, always a mystery." Bling retorted.  
  
"Well, he's still here, right?"  
  
"Probably." Asha shrugged.   
  
Sebastian grabbed Asha's hand and pulled her out of her chair.   
  
Asha grabbed Sebastian's hand. "What do you think you're doing?!"  
  
"Finding him."   
  
----------  
  
Logan looked confusingly from Max to Alec then Alec to Max. Max gave Alec a look of warning - to be prepared.   
  
After observing both Max and Alec carefully, Logan realized that they really had no physical resemblance to each other whatsoever. "You two are related?"   
  
Alec was well prepared for the question. "We're steps." Alec said quickly, as he would do anytime anyone would bring up that subject.   
  
_Thank God._ Logan nodded his head. "Oh."   
  
"So, Max, found who you were looking for?" Alec asked swiftly in order to change the subject.  
  
Logan glanced down at Max and raised an eyebrow. _She was looking for someone, too? _  
  
"You were all worked up looking for this person. Who's the lucky guy? " Alec said with amusement as he winked at Max.   
  
Max's mind was frantically searching for some sarcastic reply. _Think, Max. Think! That you've found the person and it's Logan? That you lost sight of the person? _  
  
After coming up with nothing, Max lamely said, "It really is none of your business, Alec."   
  
Alec merely shook his head and rolled his eyes. "Fine, Ms. Attitude."  
  
Logan ran his fingers through his already disheveled hair as he saw Asha approaching them followed by Bling and Sebastian. He hated confrontations, especially when it dealt with girls.   
  
Logan abruptly turned his back to them. "Come on. Let's get out of here."   
  
As they followed Logan close behind, Alec and Max began bickering again.   
  
Alec nudged Max on the ribs. "So are you gonna tell me who that guy was?"  
  
"How do you know it wasn't a girl?" Max quipped.  
  
"C'mon, Maxie. It's gotta be a guy.... unless you're a lesbian?"  
  
"Oh, shut up."  
  
Max ran ahead to catch up with Logan.  
  
"Spoilsport."

Immediately, the blonde from Alec's Mustang wrapped her arms around Alec's broad chest and kissed him on the cheek.  
  
"Alec, baby. Where were you? I was looking all over for you. " The girl said seductively as she leaned her chest onto him.   
  
"Egh." Alec's shorts instantly became a little tighter than usual.   
  
"Max, Logan! I'll see you guys later." Alec wrapped his arm around the blonde's waist and hurried off with the girl.  
  
Logan smirked as he watched Alec scurry away with the blonde bimbo. "Gross!" Max said disapprovingly.   
  
"Come on, Max. Your brother is a growing boy." Logan smirked again.  
  
Max lightly punched Logan on the shoulder. "Logan! Not you, too!"   
  
"It's just a phase. Ever heard of testosterone?" Logan punched Max back.  
  
"Well, apparently, my brother has too much of it." Max said with a look of disgust.  
  
Logan laughed at Max's sarcasm. "Is he always like that?"  
  
"Hell yeah. Ever since he first stepped foot in this world."   
  
Max's flashback went back to when twelve of her brothers and sisters, including Alec, had escaped Manticore eight years ago. Alec was ten then and she was only nine years old. A kind couple, whom had known about the horrific things they did to children in Manticore, found her and Alec on a deserted road after they had escaped and set them up with new identities. Mr. and Mrs. Guevara were generous enough to adopt them both and treat them as if they were their own children. Now, eight years had gone by as she and Alec continues to struggle to live a life in secret in a post-pulse world. Even though Alec was a pain in the ass at times, it beats not having a sibling at all. That, Max was thankful of.   
  
Logan waved his hand over Max's dazed eyes. "Max! Earth to Max. You okay?"   
  
Max quickly came back to reality. "Oh, hey." She smiled at the sight of Logan, who was looking as handsome as ever standing right in front of her.  
  
"You scared me there. You were in your own little world right then." Logan continued walking.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Care to share?" Logan asked kindly.  
  
"Nah. Maybe some other time." Max shook her head, smiling thoughtfully at him.   
  
_Yeah, some other time._ "Okay. Whatever."   
  
Logan stopped walking and stood in front of Max. "Wanna see something really beautiful?" he smiled widely at her, sending a shiver down Max's spine.   
  
_Why do you affect me that much? And I'm not even in heat!_ "Okay." She smiled back, this time sending a shiver down Logan.   
  
Logan grabbed Max's hand. "Follow me."   
  
Max stared down at their attached hands and grinned. _This is gonna be a LONG night._ She mentally sighed to herself.  
  
In silence, Logan led Max to the shore. When they were there, Logan stood behind her and wrapped his hands around her eyes.  
  
Max tried to peal his hands away. "What are you doing?!" she asked Logan confusingly.   
  
"Calm down." Max sighed with defeat and let her hands fall down to her sides.   
  
"Close your eyes. And don't peak!"   
  
"I won't!" Logan smiled and took his hands off of Max.  
  
Max was disappointed at the lost of his touch. "What exactly are you trying to do, Logan? It better be good. I don't just close my eyes for everyone, y'know."  
  
Logan looked at his watch. "Well, don't I feel special?"   
  
"You should!"   
  
"I'll keep a note of that."   
  
Max smiled. "Can I open my eyes now?"  
  
"Not yet!"   
  
"C'mon! I'm not exactly the most patient person on this planet." Max whined.  
  
"It's obvious." Logan said, enjoying their banter.  
  
"Hey!"   
  
"Alright, Ms. Impatient. You can open your eyes now." Logan said as he sat down to enjoy the view.  
  
"Finally." Max opened her eyes to the colorful arrays of the sunset.   
  
The sunset illuminated the ocean with a splash of red and orange. The water was pure blue and green as the sun's rays outlined its amazing colors creating a silhouette from where Max was standing. The waves were calm as the sun settled into a new tomorrow. The bright sun dominated the dark sky as it settled gradually. Mother nature was at its best.   
  
"Wow."   
  
Logan pulled out a hand to motion Max to sit down next to him on the sand. "What'd you think? It's worth the wait, isn't it?" he grinned at Max, who was still amazed by the beautiful sight.   
  
"Watching a sunset like this makes you forget all about the broken world we live in." He marvelled.  
  
Max sat down next to Logan. "It's beautiful."  
  
"...Like you." Logan blabbed out. _Damn it, Logan. Why did you have to say that? Well, it's true, isn't it? _   
  
Max blushed and shyly glanced over at Logan's profile, whose eyes were trying to stay focused on the sunset instead of the beautiful girl sitting next to him. "Thanks."   
  
Max and Logan watched the sunset in companionable silence for a few long minutes until the sun was completely out of sight. Logan wanted nothing more than to wrap his arm around Max. Max, on the other hand, wanted nothing more than to scoot closer to Logan. They didn't know what to make of their newly found relationship. It was all too surreal for them.   
  
Max reluctantly stood up first and adjusted her sarong.  
  
"Thank you for bringing me here." Max held her hand up for him to shake.   
  
"No problem." Logan stood up and shook her hand awkwardly.   
  
Logan ran a hand through his hair, a sign that he was nervous. "Race you back?"   
  
Max simply smiled and shook her head, knowing that it might expose her transgenic abilities and that Logan can never outrun her, even if he was a Varsity runner for his school's track team.   
  
"C'mon, I won't bite." He punched her lightly on the shoulder.

  
"You sure about this? I hate to see grown men cry." Max bit her lip and positioned herself for the race.  
  
"You're on, Max. You're going down!" Logan said mockingly.   
  
Logan positioned himself next to Max. "Ready. Set."  
  
"Go!" And they were off.  
  
_Not bad._ Logan was merely a couple of feet behind her as Max ran towards the dance floor/ party area.   
  
Logan, using all the training he underwent during his four years on the track and field team, sprinted towards Max, who was having no trouble at all outrunning him. _Damn, she's good._  
  
Max won the race and stopped, without needing to catch her breath. _This is nothing compared to the drills we did back in good 'ol Manticore._ Max smiled to herself and turned around to look at Logan.  
  
Max took pity on him as he ran towards her with sweat beaming down from his dirty-blonde spiky hair to his face and then down to his white sleeveless T-shirt. Max mentally berated herself for enjoying the view.  
  
A few minutes later, Logan reached her. He crouched down and used both of his hands to grab her waist to steady himself. "Damn. Why didn't you tell me you were this good? We could use someone like you on our track team!" Logan said, panting like a dog, trying to catch his breath.   
  
Max giggled and grabbed both of his hands. "Didn't I just tell you, 'I hate to see grown men cry?'" Logan smiled and was opening his mouth to compliment her again when he heard a high-pitched voice scream his name.

  
"Logan Cale!"   
  
_Oh no._ Logan hid behind Max as Max came face-to-face with a very angry blonde. 

-------

_A/N: Dun Dun Dun. What do you guys think of the story so far? I'm curious. I need some feedback! _

_This was a pretty long chapter. I was thinking of splitting it up into two separate chapters but I changed my mind so whatever. Hope you all liked it. _

_- Jade_


	5. Jealousy Implied

This story is AU but it is not _completely_ AU...its still Dark Angel, just different ages for the characters. There'll still be Manticore, Eyes Only and stuff that just makes Dark Angel the best show on this planet. :p

Thank you, all my reviewers. And **ML fan** for beta-ing!

**Idlehands452** – Here's the fight you kept requesting for. I've always wanted to see Max and Asha fight too. He HE.

**The Shadower **– Thanks a bunch for the wonderful review. It meant a lot to me as a writer...put a smile on my face. It's nice to see people like you appreciating this story.

----------------

_A/N: sentences in italics are the thoughts of the characters._

---------------

**Chapter 5: Jealousy... implied.**  
  
Asha, hot and furious, strolled up towards the girl, whose hands were on her Logan's hands. Asha stood two inches away from the girl's face, looking down at her threateningly. Their eyes met. It was hate at first sight. Asha's eyes were pointing daggers down at the girl, intimidating her. Making her feel unwanted. Making her feel as awful about themselves as would every other girl that would dare get near her Logan. But Asha's objective was failing miserably. This one just wouldn't let go. This one wasn't going to back down. This one wasn't leaving.  
  
Asha cracked her knuckles. _You better get your hands off of my man this instant, you skinny little tramp. _  
  
The skinny girl, instead, forced a thoughtful smile. Max's intent was to put on an innocent facade, which was also failing miserably.   
  
_Not what I expected from Logan._ Max mentally shook her head as she observed every inch of the girl in front of her. Max's eyes looked Logan's girlfriend up and down. From her oh-so-fake hair color to her skimpy attire. _Tsk Tsk. Someone here needs an extreme makeover.  
_  
Invading the girl's personal space, Asha stared down at her sternly, making sure her spit would get on the skinny girl's face once she starts speaking. "Who...the...HELL...do...you think you are?!" Asha cried, but to her surprise, the girl didn't even finch. _Little miss chicky here wants to fight, doesn't she? _  
  
"I'm Max. Nice to meet you too!" Max replied with her usual sarcasm. She held out a hand to offer Logan's girlfriend a nice, friendly... and tight, very tight handshake.  
  
"...Barlow...Asha Barlow." She scoffed. Instead of shaking Max's hand, Asha's hand went up to slap Max on the face. To her surprise, the girl called "Max" grabbed her hand, disabling her from slapping her face.

Max grinned. _Oh no, I don't think so, blondie. _  
  
"My My. Such temper coming from a society girl. I should've known better." Her grip on Asha became tighter, threatening to twist her arm if she dared to do or say anything more.  
  
Asha's other hand went up to slap Max's other cheek. "Arrgg!" Asha screamed with frustration as Max grabbed her other hand before she could hit her.  
  
Max looked into Asha's eyes, which were boiling with hatred. "Don't you ever learn?" Asha's knee went up to hit Max on the stomach. Max let go one of Asha's hands and easily dodged her knee.  
  
_Logan, do something!_ Logan berated himself as he watched Max and Asha fight over him. _I didn't think they'd start a catfight._ _Do something, Cale! _Logan detangled his hands from Max's waist and abruptly stood up from behind Max. _Man, I feel like such a wimp now._  
  
Logan went between the two girls and pushed back both of their shoulders. "Max, Asha, stop this!" Max briefly glanced over at Logan, who had a concerned yet nervous expression on his face.  
  
Asha, sensing Max's loss of concentration, used it to her advantage. Without any hesitation, she pushed Logan aside forcefully and used her left knee to plunge into Max's stomach.  
  
"Ow!" Max let go of Asha's hand. Both of her hands went to her stomach as she leaned over in pain. Luckily, because of her X5 DNA, the pain went away just as quickly as she had gotten hit. _For once, I'm glad to be a transgenic._  
  
"Max!" Logan shouted in shock. _What have I gotten Max into? She doesn't deserve this. This is all my fault!_  
  
Before Logan could run to help her, Asha grabbed Max's hair and pulled her head up so that she could look at her. "Three years of martial arts, chicky. Training for the S1W's. You don't stand a chance against me." Asha said proudly.  
  
_Conceited bitch!_ Max grabbed Asha's dirty hand off of her hair and gently twisted it, not wanting to hurt her too much in front of Logan.  
  
She let go of Asha's hand and forcefully pushed her so that she'd land, back first, onto the table in back of her. From the sudden force, the legs of the wooden table collapsed as it toppled over with Asha's body. Hearing the noises, the crowd around them quickly turned their attention to the fight and surrounded the two girls in a circle, anticipating their next move.   
  
"Think again, bitch. I've excelled in martial arts long before you could say 'mommy'." Max quipped. Asha hand went behind her throbbing back and stared angrily back at Max.   
  
_Damn, you've said too much, Max._ Max rolled her eyes at Asha and turned her back to her. She slowly walked away as the crowd made a path for her to retrieve, shocked by her attitude and display of strength.  
  
"It's not over yet, Max!" Asha shouted.   
  
Max continued walking, ignoring Asha. She was fed up with the girl. Any longer with her and she would've drown her on the Pacific Ocean.   
  
A drunk Sketchy, held up his beer bottle, cheered and hooted for his friend, breaking the silence amongst the crowd. "Whoo...Go Max! Girl Power!" Whisperings rapidly filled the crowd as everyone quickly scattered about and went on to whatever it was they were doing before the fight.   
  
Logan remained standing where he was, still enthralled by Max's strength. He watched her leave, with questions forming in his mind. _Bye Max._

_It's now or never. _He thought. Logan shoved a hand through his sweaty hair and ran over to his injured girlfriend, or soon-to-be ex-girlfriend.   
  
"You okay, Asha?" Logan knelt down beside Asha and helped her up.  
  
After she stood up, Asha stared angrily back at him. "Does it look like I'm okay? That skinny whore was taking advantage of you! Are you blind or something?" she slapped him. Hard. Making sure it'll leave a mark the next day.  
  
Logan put a hand on his now red cheek. "You're right, I did deserve that for walking out on you tonight. But you have no right to treat and speak of Max like that! She's a very nice person... and she's my friend!" Logan shouted.   
  
"Oh, so now you're defending her!" She crossed her arms.  
  
"Asha, you don't even know her!" Logan retorted, frustrated by Asha's jealousy.  
  
"Just keep away from her." She said simply.  
  
Logan gazed down at her furiously. "You know what, Asha? I've had it up to here with you. I'm sick of this. You wanna know the truth? These past four months I've been with you was the worse relationship I've ever been in. It's always been about YOU! It's never been about US! Max is right, you ARE a bitch." He purposely said the last word cogently to ephasize his intent. _Maybe I've gone a little too far by calling her a "bitch". But whatever, she deserves it. _  
  
Asha gaped at him, unmoving, shocked by this sudden revelation. Suddenly, she felt cold and alone. The breeze hit her hard and she shivered with fear. The one man she had ever loved was calling her a bitch. The one man she had done everything to impress was breaking up with her.  
  
As if it wouldn't get any worse for her, Logan said, "It's over, Asha. We're done. Get used to it." Logan looked down at her one last time and walked away, leaving her to ponder what she had ever done wrong.

--------

_Feedback most welcomed and appreciated. They keep me motivated. (Hint Hint. Wink Wink.) _

_-- Jade_

_P.S. Happy Independence Day to everyone from the US._


	6. Understanding

Thank you **MalloryAlise**, **Bob**, **Nat452**, **Jen**, **idlehands452,** **Babyangel86**, **NoAngell**, **willow98002, GUEVERACALE452** for reviewing this little fic of mine and **ML fan**, for beta-ing!

**huntress k** - Really sorry to hear about your computer. I hope it gets fixed soon!

**The Shadower -** So you had a computer problem too. LoL. Everyone that reviewed seemed to hate Asha...well, except for you. I, personally, think she's okay, she just gets on my nerves sometimes and that's about it. Her character was pointless to the show anyway.

Well, here's the update...

**--------**

_A/N: As always, sentences in italics are the thoughts of the characters._

_---------_

****

**Chapter 6: Understanding**   
  
Logan walked away from Asha, away from all the staring faces, and away from all that he thought was good. He felt guilty. Guilty for walking out on a friend he'd known since middle school. Guilty for calling her a "bitch." Guilty for not feeling sympathetic for her even after she'd been physically beaten by Max.   
  
Max.   
  
_Max. _  
  
He repeated and continued walking. Somehow, even her name could send shivers down his spine...and he couldn't understand why. So he finally meant her. Perhaps he should be happy. Yes, he should... no, he shouldn't. He was debating; a part of him didn't want to be happy. The only thing he thought he'd be able to cause her was trouble. He couldn't risk her safety. He _didn't_ want to risk her safety. _Cale, why do you care so much anyway? You don't even know the girl! Get a grip!_  
  
A strong hand landed on his shoulders. "You okay?" A deep and familiar voice asked him. He stopped walking and his head tilted to look at his best friend, who looked worried.   
  
"I'm fine, Bling." He stared down at his sandals, dismissing the matter.  
  
Bling led to them to an empty table and sat down. "Logan, I know you well enough. You're not 'fine' and neither is Asha." Bling sighed. "Sebastian and I saw her alone...and crying on the floor with her head on her knees. She's really upset, Logan."  
  
Hesitantly, he looked up from fidgeting his fingers. "Thank you for stating the obvious." He scoffed.   
  
Bling wrinkled his brow and stared unbelievably at him. "Stop being so stubborn, man! Snap out of this...this depression!"   
  
He lifted his head up again. An angry expression flooded his face. "What _do_ you expect me to say?! What _do_ you expect me to do?! It was only a matter of time before I broke up with her! It can't work. It just can't... and you of all people should know." He calmed down solemnly after the last sentence.  
  
Bling looked at his best friend warily from across the table, and then sighed. "I know."  
  
A moment later, Logan calmed down considerably. He stood up and walked towards the shore. "I need to be alone. Need to clear my head."  
  
Bling simply put his hand on Logan's shoulders, an act that he understood.   
  
Logan murmured, "Not with EO starting. I can't trust her to keep the secret." He looked over at Bling, who nodded with understanding.  
  
"You did the right thing, Logan."  
  
Bling didn't bother arguing. He knew Eyes Only, or EO, was more important to Logan than anything else in his life.   
  
He knew his best friend would do anything, even if it'll mean sacrificing his own life, even if it'll mean losing all that he had, in order to help others, in order to protect the citizens of the downtrodden. So his best friend wanted to be a superhero. His best friend wanted to save the world. His best friend wanted things to be the way they were before the pulse. He scoffed; he knew his friend was too stubborn. There was nothing he could do to make him change his mind, so he had agreed to help him.  
  
He had agreed to help build Eyes Only, a streaming freedom video bulletin via top-secret informant that'll be hacked and broadcasted for all of the United States to see. No one else but Sung and Sebastian were led in on their secret project.   
  
------  
  
Max walked towards the shore, away from it all, away from Asha, away from her annoying brother, away from people in general, and sat down on the sand, enjoying the darkness of the open sea.   
  
"Dark, like my mood." She quipped.  
  
She felt guilty. Guilty for having to shove Asha onto the table. Guilty for using her given transgenic powers on the girl. Guilty for walking off on Logan.  
  
Logan.  
  
_Logan._

She repeated and sighed. Somehow, even his name could send shivers down her spine...and she couldn't understand why. So she finally meant him. Perhaps she should be happy. Yes, she should... no, she shouldn't. She was debating; a part of her didn't want to be happy. The only thing she thought she'd be able to cause him was trouble. She couldn't risk his safety. She simply _didn't_ want to risk his safety. _Girl, why do you care so much anyway? You don't even know the guy! Get a grip!_   
  
A comforting hand rested on her shoulder. She turned her head around alarmingly.  
  
Original Cindy.   
  
Her best friend.

She smiled and Original Cindy smiled back.  
  
"Everything okay, boo?" Original Cindy sat down next to her.  
  
"I'm fine." she rested her head on her knees.   
  
Original Cindy turned her head to stare at Max warily. Something was bothering her best friend and she was sure of it.   
  
"Max, Original Cindy knows you're not 'fine'. Herbal saw the fight... I saw it too." She sighed, hating Max's silent treatment. "I just want you to know, we are all proud of you, boo...for sticking up for yourself like that...and beating up that good-for-nothing-I'm-too good-for-anyone-ho." She giggled to try to lighten up the mood, but failed miserably. She looked over at Max and frowned. Her friend remained motionless, staring into the ocean.   
  
There was silence as a light breeze whizzed past them.  
  
Original Cindy shook her head. "Stop being so damn stubborn, boo. It won't do you any good!"   
  
Sighing, Max lifted her head off of her knees. She took a deep breath and after a long moment, she let her emotions get the best of her, "You don't understand, OC. What _do_ you want me to say?! What _do_ you want me to do?! I did it AGAIN! I used the screwed up genetics _they_ gave ME to attack someone! I'll never, EVER escape my past...escape what _they_ did to me. Don't you understand? One day, it'll all just go out to the open and I'll just get myself caught." She stopped at the thought. She closed her eyes and a tear ran down her cheek.   
  
Original Cindy's hand went around her best friend's shoulder and squeezed her gently. "It's alright, boo. I know who you are." Original Cindy's head touched Max's and embraced her. Max was like a sister to her and she was not willing to let anything happen to her. Max was family, period.  
  
Her thoughts went back to a year ago when she'd found Max shaking uncontrollably in one of the school's restrooms. Everything that happened that day still remained imbedded in her mind: She had not heard a sound coming from Max and had kicked the restroom door open to come face to face with her best friend, pale-stricken and shaking violently. Max had told her to grab some pills from her messenger bag and give it to her. After the shaking subsided, Max revealed everything to her that day, including the fact that the shaking were caused by seizures and that the pills, called Tryptophan, were used to control the seizures. She realized soon after that that her best friend was a transgenic, a test-tube baby, created to raise hell. After much deep thought, she came to the conclusion that Max was still her best friend, a loyal, caring and down-to-earth best friend at that. And knowing all that was enough for her.   
  
Original Cindy smiled at the thought.

Max detangled herself from Original Cindy. She snapped out of her misery and felt disgusted by herself. "Wait a minute, I'm not supposed to let Lydecker ruin my life."   
  
She stopped and abruptly wiped the tears off of her face. "What was I thinking?... That bitch can kiss my transgenic ass." She managed a low chuckle.   
  
Original Cindy embraced her.  
  
A tear ran down Original Cindy's face. "Boo, you scared me! I thought you were gonna do something stupid, like throw your pretty-ass into the ocean or something." Her best friend exclaimed.  
  
"No... but, throwing Asha into the ocean would be nice, though." She smirked.   
  
"You don't have to waste your energy on her, boo. Now that she's free, maybe Original Cindy should try hooking up with her."   
  
"OC!"   
  
Max burst out laughing, and then Original Cindy joined her, breaking all seriousness that had just been in the air.   
  
Max suddenly went stiff.  
  
Her best friend cocked her head and eyed her curiously. "What's wrong, boo?"  
  
Max's eyes were wide and her face was dead serious. "Wait a minute, what do you mean, 'she's free'?"   
  
"Oh, Hotboy broke up with her." She said simply.   
  
Max looked away and nodded, immediately changing her facial expression. "Oh."  
  
"You didn't know?"  
  
She shook her head. "No."  
  
"... I'm sure the whole beach knows that they've broken up by now."  
  
"Mmm."   
  
"... he _did_ mention your name." Original Cindy tried again.  
  
"Mmm."   
  
Original Cindy's mouth was wide open. "Boo, stop giving me one-word answers! I know you've got more to say then just 'Oh!' and 'Mmm'. Just admit it, you like hot-boy." Her best friend said a matter-of-factly.  
  
Noticing Max's inattentiveness, Original Cindy looked over at her friend, whose gaze and mind was elsewhere. Not just elsewhere, but on a guy. A special guy, to say the least.   
  
Logan.   
  
_Hotboy. This should be interesting. No wonder she didn't pay any attention to me._ Original Cindy quipped.   
  
Logan noticed Max and began walking towards her. Max stared.  
  
"So this guy walks up onto the shore and says..."  
  
Max stood up as he reached her. He stood directly in front of Max, face-to-face, practically breathing down her. Original Cindy remained standing where she was, amused by the tension between her best friend and Hotboy.   
  
"We didn't get a chance to finish our conversation before." He said, still gazing down at her.  
  
"Original Cindy, say hi to my good friend..." Max managed to say without breaking their eye contact.   
  
She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms on her chest. "Logan Cale." Original Cindy said as she nodded her head mockingly. _When is this staring contest gonna end? _  
  
"Sorry about your girlfriend."   
  
"Can we go somewhere and talk?" he said hurriedly.

Original Cindy looked down at her watch. "Whoop, Xena's on." She glanced from Max to Logan and then Logan to Max one last time. They didn't pay any attention to her at all so she simply slipped past them and walked away.   
  
Max couldn't blink. Actually, she didn't feel like blinking. "Let me get my shirt."   
  
He raised an eyebrow. "The one you're wearing?"   
  
Max looked down at her T-shirt, the one she had slipped on hastily right after her fight with Asha. "Right." _Damn, he's good._   
  
Side by side, they strolled down the shore together. It was past midnight but the crowd still remained as loud as it ever was. Shouts and hootings were heard sporadically; loud music continued to play through the speakers.   
  
"So you tracked me down. What do you think?" She asked finally.  
  
He looked down at her. "Too early to tell."  
  
She smiled and was about to about her mouth when...  
  
Logan cleared his throat, as if afraid to say something. He looked out towards the waves and took up the courage to finally say, "That was an extraordinary display of athleticism before. A little too extraordinary..." He turned his head towards her.  
  
"You want to tell me how you...?  
  
She was gone.   
  
Without saying a word or a farewell of some sort, she left again, much to Logan's dismay. _Why is this girl so mysterious?_  
  
Logan ran both of his hands through his hair and looked up to realize that a hoverdrone had just passed them by from overhead.   
  
_Damn hoverdrone._  
  
He shook his head and walked towards the beach house.   
  
"What a night." Logan murmured to himself.   
  
-------------

_Feedback most welcomed and appreciated, always. _


	7. Do not attempt to adjust your set

Thank you soo much for the kind reviews, you guys. And I'm so sorry for the long hiatus – I kinda lost inspiration to continue this story, but it's back now, hopefully. Once again, thank you to **ML fan** for beta-ing. :-)  
  
------  
  
**A/N:** italics are the thoughts of the characters.  
The Eyes Only broadcast was taken from the Pilot.  
  
-----  
  
**Chapter 7: Do not attempt to adjust your set.**  
  
Max hustled through the tables of customers. Keeping her promise to Max, Original Cindy had managed to convince her boss, Normal to hire Max for the summer. Max knew that she could always count on her best friend.  
  
"Bip Bip Bip. Hamburger and fries to table three, Missy miss!" Normal carefully dropped the plate of food onto Max's arms and whistled her away.  
  
Max rolled her eyes and walked towards her best friend. "Normal is really getting on my nerves."  
  
"Boo, if you want a job nowadays, you'd just have to deal with it, no matter how annoying Normal is."  
  
Max nodded. She dropped down the plate of food onto table three, when a rough hand landed on her hip. _Not again._ Max groaned to herself.  
  
"Wanna go for a ride, honey?" Max tilted her head to frown at the pervert who had touched her. He winked at her and smirked, making him look even more ugly than he already was. She unsympathetically grabbed his arm and twisted it.  
  
"Arg!" The guy cried out in pain as his friends watched on with fright.  
  
Max bent down to stare at the pervert, who was an inch away from her face. "You better think first before you touch me." She let go of the guy's wrist roughly, turned around and walked towards Original Cindy.  
  
"Nice going, boo. You just lost yourself some more tips for the day, _again_."  
  
"I'd rather lose some tips than to let some horny teenage guys woo at me like I'm meat." She brushed her curly hair back and looked down at her watch.  
  
"Thank the blue lady it's lunch break." She took off her apron and slammed it down onto an empty chair. "Getting tired of dealing with these idiots... they're worse than Sketchy."  
  
Original Cindy took off her apron as well and strolled towards the boardwalk. "So, boo..." She glanced over at Max knowingly, making sure she'd use the right words to say. "...you never told me what went down between you and Hotboy last night."  
  
Max replied straight away. "Forget him." Then added, "... it won't work." She shook her head dismissively.  
  
Her best friend stared at her apprehensively, and then said, "Whatever you say, boo. Whatever you say."  
  
They approached the ice cream stand and watched as Sketchy bent down on his arms to chat with two of his bikini-clad customers. He smiled and continued nodding at them. Apparently, he didn't really seem to care what they were talking to him about. Original Cindy slapped him on the head. Hard. "Perv! Can't you see you have a whole line waitin' here for your dumbass to serve them?" She pointed at the long line of people waiting impatiently for him to finish talking with the girls.  
  
"That hurt, Cindy!" His hand went to rub the side of his head. "Sorry, girls, I guess I'll have to see you around some other time." He smiled at the girls and they left without a word while Max and Original Cindy were forced to wait for him to finish with the remaining customers.  
  
Together, they walked towards CRASH, a popular hangout on the boardwalk. The sun shone down on them, always bright and illuminating, as they strolled towards the bar to meet up with Herbal Thought.  
  
"... so, she looked up at me and asked me if I wanted to go out with her tonight..."  
  
"Oh, let me guess, you blew her off." Original Cindy interrupted.  
  
"Well, yes and no. Originally, I had said yes, without a doubt. Then she smiled at me..." He paused and a look of disgust flooded his features. "... and then, I saw that that her two front teeth were missing. So I blew her off and told her I already had a girlfriend."  
  
Original Cindy, once again, slapped him on the side of his head. "This is another perfect example why guys are nothing but pervs, that's why Original Cindy goes for ladies. It's must less complicated – as long as we have fun fooling around then it's all good."  
  
"See what I don't get is – why is it always about looks with guys? Can't they just see us for they way we are? Guys are just so... so _arrogant_ sometimes." Max said, more to herself than her friends.  
  
She glanced over at her two friends. "You know what I mean?"  
  
Sketchy and Original Cindy both turned to Max. "What did I tell you about joining my team, boo? You're a perfect candidate."  
  
"Cindy, I'm being serious."  
  
"Not all guys are pervs like Sketchy..."  
  
"I resent that!" Sketchy interrupted.  
  
She ignored him and continued, "What I'm saying is, I'm sure Hotboy will see past whatever 'flaws' you have on the outside and love you for who you are on the inside."  
  
"How'd Logan get into the picture all of a sudden? I wasn't even talking about him!" Max said outrageously.  
  
"It's implied." Her best friend replied knowingly.  
  
"Who's Logan?" Sketchy asked with curiosity.  
  
"Shut up, fool!" Sketchy was slapped on the head again - this time by both Max and Original Cindy.  
  
"Aw!" The two girls slapped hands as Sketchy rubbed both sides of his head in pain. They immediately spotted Herbal Thought and sat down at their respectable stools.  
  
"Alright, my sistahs? And Sketchy, my mon?" Herbal did a handshake with Sketchy and they walked off to get a pitcher of root beer.  
  
"Look at that cute lickety chick over there, boo. Mm, now she's something." Original Cindy's head motioned towards a brunette sitting near the television.  
  
Max smiled and shook her head. Just when she was about to say something to Original Cindy, the television program quickly became replaced by static and then a red and blue banner. The eyes on the hacked TV broadcast somehow looked strangely familiar to Max.  
  
"Do not attempt to adjust your set."  
  
The voice sounded strangely familiar to her, too. _That's odd._ She thought.  
  
"This is a streaming freedom video bulletin...via the Eyes Only informant net. The cable hack will last exactly 60 seconds. It cannot be traced, it cannot be stopped and it is the only free voice left in the city."  
  
"Yo, check it out!" Someone shouted.  
  
_Another one of those freedom fighters. Great._ Max scoffed. Max rolled her eyes and watched as everyone's attention became fixated on the man with the red and blue Halloween mask.  
  
"There are certain men who move through the world with impunity. Their actions, no matter how vile are immune from consequence. Edgar Sonrisa is such a man. You've seen him, smiling at political fund-raisers... "  
  
_Give me a break._ Max watched on as pictures of Edgar Sonrisa moved across the screen.  
  
"He owns shopping centers, a trucking company and the largest medical supply company in the northwest. He also runs drugs and guns up and down the west coast..."  
  
"The man is deep." Sketchy said from behind Max.  
  
Eyes Only continued, "He's obviously very dirty."  
  
"No, you're easy." Max replied.  
  
"Well, I believe him." Sketchy said.  
  
"Then you're too gullible. He's on the hustle, same as everyone else." Max retorted.  
  
"It doesn't mean he's not right." The guy standing next to Sketchy said.  
  
"Journalists who have attempted to expose him have been gunned down in the street. Their blood is the ink of our modern news. Those who've opposed him have vanished. All of that is about to change."  
  
_Sure, but you can't change everything, wiseguy._ Max gulped down her root beer.  
  
Static sounded once again and the broadcast ended.  
  
"Eyes Only, huh? He seems cool enough to me... the newest crime fighting cyber journalist, how cool does that sound? I wonder who he is." Sketchy said curiously. He seemed to admire this guy. Max, on the other hand, could care less...  
  
"Probably some bored rich kid with nothing better to do with his life then to play around with computers and scare us silly with those lame stories of his."  
  
"But Max, he's trying to hunt down bad guys here."  
  
"Don't believe everything you hear on TV." Max snapped.  
  
"Ah, but Eyes Only seems like a good person. It is all good." Herbal Thought said with his usual Jamaican accent.  
  
She sensed that all her friends were against her so she merely rolled her eyes. "Whatever."  
  
"Chill out, boo. That guy has nice eyes, from a lesbian point of view, that is." Her best friend said.  
  
Max made a disgusted sound and gulped down another mug of root beer. _Eyes Only can go screw himself.   
_  
The rest of Max's afternoon were spent working for Normal, threatening guys that would try to score a date with her, and losing a big amount of tips. By the end of the day, all she had been able to make from tips was a stingy amount of _seven dollars_. She wanted to puke – she had worked from 8AM to 6PM and that was all she was able to make out of tips. Surely, working in a post-pulse world was harder than she thought it would be.  
  
Max strolled up to her best friend and asked nonchalantly, "Cindy, how much did you make from tips today?"  
  
Her best friend grinned. "32 dollahs."  
  
"What?!" She asked in disbelief.  
  
"It's all in the way of knowing how, boo." Original Cindy adjusted her strapless tank top and pulled out money from under her bra.  
  
Max sighed in defeat as Original Cindy waved the bills in her face.  
  
"I need a walk."  
  
"Suit yourself." Original Cindy said as she recounted her bills.  
  
Max strolled up towards the edge of the water and sat down on the warm sand. One thing she loved about the beach was that it exudes a sense of calmness. Up until she was nine, everything and everyone around her somehow exuded darkness. In the beach, there was sunshine – in a way, it made her dark world a whole lot brighter. She would sometimes sit by the shore and think to herself – wonder where her other siblings were. Wonder if Jondy had become a fashion designer. Wonder if Zack was okay and still his usual strict self. Wonder if any of them actually escaped at all.  
  
Wonder if the blue lady was real.  
  
She scoffed at the thought. When they were young, they didn't know any better. They were simply made – made to kill and nothing else.  
  
She grew to process the utmost animosity towards Manticore. She hid from it - she hid from them. She hid from Lydecker.  
  
She hated them. She hated what they did to her – hated what that they had made her.  
  
At the moment, she wanted to cry. Until...  
  
"Ow!" A volleyball bounced off her head and immediately, her hand went to rub where she had been hit.  
  
"What the hell!?" Max stood up alarmingly; ready to attack whoever had dared to hit her.  
  
A guy with dirty blonde hair wearing a black tank top stumbled to retrieve the volleyball from underneath her leg. She stared down angrily at him and kicked him carelessly on the stomach.  
  
"Explain! Before I beat the crap out of you!" She shouted with fury.  
  
"I'm so sorry!" He said sincerely. "My lousy friend over there purposely threw this volleyball over here to get your attention."  
  
Max recognized his voice immediately. How could anyone not?  
  
"Logan?!"  
  
Logan stood up abruptly, almost bumping into her chin again. "Max!" He said happily and smiled. "Hey."  
  
_Wow, he has beautiful eyes. Stop it, Max!_  
  
He motioned towards the hand that was resting on the back of her head. "Are you alright?"  
  
His friends on the volleyball court began hooting and making obnoxious kissing noises. "Will you guys shut up for once? Sung, you were the one who hit her so you should be the one apologizing here, _not me_." He irritably threw the volleyball back at them and Sung hastily said, "Sorry."  
  
Logan, slightly taken aback, said, "Don't mind him."  
  
She nodded her head mockingly. "Uh huh." Her arms went around her chest. "Explain."  
  
"Explain what? I already did." Logan exclaimed with his hands up in the air.  
  
She leaned her head forward to get a closer look at him. _Bad idea, Max. Very bad idea._ "WHY...HAVE...YOU...BEEN...FOLLOWING...ME?!" She managed to get out.  
  
_Two can play the same game._ Logan thought.  
  
He, too, put his arms around his chest. "It's not my fault we just so _happen_ to go to the same beach, just so _happen_ to bump into each other all the time. The question is: why have _you_ been following _me_?" He asked in the same tone she did.  
  
Max stared up at him in disbelief. _Wow, he's tall... I like that in a guy._ She abruptly shook the thought away. "Oh, cut the crap, Logan, and get to the main point."  
  
He shrugged and looked innocently at her, "What main point?"  
  
"That you..." She gulped. _Like me._  
  
He raised his eyebrow. "That I _what_?"  
  
She groaned in frustration. "Never mind."  
  
"Fine." He shrugged and looked the other way – towards his friends.  
  
"Fine." She looked towards the ocean.  
  
"Whatever."  
  
"Just forget it."  
  
At that moment, they glared at each other with lust and annoyance.  
  
More like lust than annoyance, really.  
  
_Might as well kiss her senseless to shut her up._ Logan thought as he continued to glare at her.  
  
Their stare was defiant – hot enough to melt an ice pop.  
  
Max reluctantly broke the stare and pushed him away from her. Shaking her head, she softly said, "Just leave me alone, Logan."  
  
Logan put his hand to where she had just touched him and asked, "Why?"  
  
She glared at him again. "I'm trouble, okay?" Her heart tugged at her and she was trying hard not to walk away from him.  
  
Somehow, he'd understood her and nodded his head to show that he'd accepted her answer. "I don't mind." He said quietly to himself.  
  
Max stopped dead on her tracks. "What did you say?"  
  
He looked up alarmingly at her, shook his head and hastily said, "Um... nothing. It was nothing." He managed a smile. "Well, I guess I'll see you around... Max."  
  
_I'm not deaf, Logan_ She chuckled to herself and walked up to face him, much to Logan's surprise. She gazed up into his eyes and grinned at him. Using both of her hands, she roughly grabbed his head down to her level...

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-------- **A/N:** Sorry for the cliffhanger. Just wanted to see how many people are actually still reading this story. I've been getting less and less reviews these days so if I get more, I'll update sooner. ;-)  
  
-Jade


	8. Strictly PG13

**A/N:** Wow, much better turnout than I expected. 106 reviews? That's crazy! You guys were reviewing like crazy, not that I mind or anything. (looks around) Hugs and kisses to all the reviewers from last chapter. Individual shout-outs are at the bottom of the page. ;-)

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Sentences in _italics _are the thoughts of the characters.

_**------**_

**Chapter 8: Strictly PG13.**

He managed a smile. "Well, I guess I'll see you around... Max."  
  
_I'm not deaf, Logan._ She chuckled to herself and walked up to face him, much to Logan's surprise. She gazed up into his eyes and grinned at him. Using both of her hands, she roughly grabbed his head down to her level...

And patted some sand off the front of his spiked up hair. "There."

_Wha? You actually thought she was going to kiss you, weren't you, Cale? _Logan frowned. "Uh...yeah."

Looking up, she met his eyes again. _Wow, they're so blue. And green. Hey, they look gray, too._ Somehow, even his eye color mesmerized her. Blinking away quickly, she snapped out the unwanted thought.

Suddenly realizing her hands were still on both sides of his head, she let go and pushed him away. "What do you think you're doing?!" she asked incredulously.

Logan, backing away, screwed up a confused expression. "I'm not doing anything. I'm just looking at you," he replied simply.

Max glared at him amazingly, as if he were a madman. "You...you're driving me crazy!" She turned and hastily walked away, not knowing what to do in a situation like this.

"Hey! **You** were the one that grabbed me and wouldn't let go, so **I** should be the one complaining, not you!"

Turning around to face him, Max frowned, "Go back to your little playboy mansion, Logan and LEAVE ME ALONE!" she bellowed. _Why did you have to say that, Max?_ She sighed inwardly.

"I thought you were better than this, Max," he shouted back.

She made a turn so that her body was facing him. "Better than what?" she spat.

"When I first met you that night, I thought you were sweet. Guess I was wrong," he retorted back.

She looked at him for a moment before saying, "The bitch is back." With that she rolled her eyes and hiked up the hill, attempting to get as far away from him as possible.

Just when she thought things wouldn't get any worse, an annoying voice squealed her "not-so-tough" surname, "Maxie!"

She let out a groan as her brother ran down the hill towards her. "Alec, do you **have** to show up now?"

Alec wrinkled his brow. "Why not now?"

Max sighed and rolled her eyes. She watched as her brother wave at someone behind her. _Please don't let it be Logan._ She silently prayed to herself.

"Hey, buddy!" Alec shouted. _Shut up, Alec!_ Logan shook his head profusively, mouthing a "NO!"

Alec frowned. "What's wrong with **him**?" he asked his sister, pointing at Logan, who was jumping up and down and pointing towards the beach house.

Max turned.

Noticing Alec pointing at him to Max and Max turning around to face him, Logan stopped jumping. _Shit._

He smiled.

"Uh...hey Alec...buddy." Watching Max apprehensively, who had an eyebrow raised and arms around her chest, smiled nervously, "and...Ma-Max." He stuttered.

_Aw, he's so cute._ Max quickly shook off the thought, deciding that drooling over Logan wouldn't be a good option. Her invisible defense barrier quickly came back up again.

Logan ran up to them and exchanged handshakes with Alec.

"Logan, my man!" Alec slapped him on the shoulder. He then looked from Max to Logan, waiting for them to exchange their greetings.

Max simply glared at him and said, "Hey."

"Hey."

Alec nudged Max on the shoulder. "C'mon, Maxie! Why the grim expression?" He asked sarcastically, not expecting an answer back.

Max scoffed at him.

He rolled his eyes, focusing his attention back on Logan, who quite frankly was enjoying the bickering between the two siblings. "Listen, Logan. I'm throwing a party, a house-party, tonight at nine..."

Max interrupted, "What?! Alec, we're not allowed to..."

"- to throw any parties while mom and dad are away," he finished off for her. "I know. But it's just a small **gathering**. Nothing big," he told her reassuringly.

She looked up at him incredulously. "You're dead if they find out."

"Relax, Maxie. They won't. I'll just keep everything strictly PG-13. We're bound **not** to get into any trouble," he said nonchalantly. Then added, "You worry too much, dearest sister."

"ME?!" she asked in disbelief. "Oh, brother dear, don't tell me you don't remember what happened **last** time..."

She smirked as Alec became slightly nervous. "Uh... Logan!"

To their surprise, Logan had started walking back already, leaving both Max and Alec behind to talk to themselves. "Logan! Bling, Sebastian and Sung will fill you in on all the details. You can't bail on me this time!" He shouted.

"I'll think about it," he dismissed them with a wave of the hand.

Alec made his trademark boyish grin, "Well, that went well, don't ya think?"

Max shook her head and mumbled something that sounded vaguely like "Men."

"I heard that."

-----------

------------

"Alec!"

Max screamed across the room, hoping her prat of a brother could hear her. She was wearing a red tank top, along with a pair of army cargo pants. Her curly hair was partially wet after having just taken a shower.

Head still bobbing, Alec shouted across the living room. "WHAT?"

"You didn't tell me you invited THIS many people," Max head motioned around the teenagers situated around their living room and kitchen. Loud hip-hop music from the stereo speakers echoed through the house. She rolled her eyes in disgust as she watched a girl take off her shirt. Apparently, they were playing strip poker. "Ugh."

Alec, still wearing his black Pacific Sun sunglasses (he thought he looked "cooler" that way), approached her and said, "I didn't. I guess it just got around that there'd be a party here." He watched as Sketchy greeted the girl playing strip poker. "It was a mistake inviting Sketchy, I'll tell you that."

"Knowing him, he probably advertised this party: 'Free beer at 1535 Eagle!'". How Alec had been able to get a hold of beer, she had no idea and she didn't want to know.

The doorbell rang again as Alec pushed through a bunch of people to answer. Every ten minutes or so, the doorbell would ring, bringing in a new flock of people into their house. Max scurried over to the staircase, as two guys were sneaking up. She grabbed both of their wrists roughly.

"Upstairs are off limit. Didn't we warn you at the door?" She told them threateningly.

The two guys looked at each other then smirked. One of the two guys said, "My fault, pretty lady. We just needed to use the restroom... you know, to pee?"

"Well, go use the one by the kitchen." She let go of their wrists and watched as they headed towards where she had motioned them. She let out an exasperated sigh as they turned around and winked at her suggestively.

Max felt more like a security to the party more than anything. She'd promised her parents she'd look after her brother and his idiotic little schemes and she intended to keep her promise. She had to admit, though, throwing a party like this could definitely get them exposed. _What was Alec thinking when he started this?_

Her gaze fell upon the three people whom Alec had let into the house: it was Original Cindy, Kendra and Herbal Thought. Max beamed. Things couldn't get any worse with her three best friends around, could it? Or so she thought.

She felt a hand land gently on her shoulders. Immediately shaking it off, her head turned to come face-to-face with a blonde male wearing a black leather jacket. "Who are you?" she asked in disgust.

"Oh, I'm sorry," he apologized sincerely, and then added, "You're Max, right?"

"Yeah, what's it to you?" _Why does he look so familiar?_

He frowned for a moment, as if contemplating what to say to her and then said uneasily, "I was...uh.. wondering if we could meet up sometime.. and t-talk." He grinned.

Max sneered, "If you're trying to hook up with me... don't." With that she turned and left him standing there open-mouthed.

After regaining his dignity, he shouted, "My name is Sam, by the way!"

Max held up a hand to shut him up. "Like I even care," she muttered.

"Sam, Normal's newest joy toy. Normal gave him an application today right after you left. Strange, the boy kept asking for you," Original Cindy told her.

"Great, now I have myself a stalker," Max quipped.

The doorbell rang yet again as Max and Original Cindy sat down on the stairs to make sure they'd be able to catch anyone trying to sneak up.

"Boo, there's that lickety-chick I met while hanging at Crash today. She said hello and told me her name, Chrisette. Is that a bomb-ass name for a female or what?" Original Cindy stood up.

"Cindy, do me a favor and not do anything inappropriate at my place, alright?" Max said quickly before her best friend could walk over to "Chrisette".

"You know that's not happening, boo," she said without losing a beat.

Max groaned in defeat and tugged her knees onto her chest. So, everyone seemed to be having a jolly good time except for her. _Wonderful._

Max watched as a bald, incredibly buff, African-American guy dash towards her from where she was sitting. Max recognized at once that the guy was one of Logan's friends that was playing volleyball with him this afternoon. Sensing his worried and disheveled state, Max rised abruptly and asked, "What's the problem?"

Bling stopped in front of her and gasped for breath. "M-My... two friends," he pointed and directed her gaze towards the backyard, where she saw two people shouting at each other. "... they're arguing, you have to stop them before they start going at each other."

"If these idiots want to fight, fight somewhere else for God's sake." Pushing through the crowd, Max headed off towards the back of the house, unaware of the unspoken exchange between Bling, who was pushing her along from behind, and Logan.

Logan let out a quiet laugh as he watched Bling wink at him. Giving him the thumbs up, Logan sprinted up towards the staircase as soon as Bling turned his head away.

Entering the hallway, Logan scanned for Max's bedroom, which wasn't too difficult as the front of her door had a bumper sticker that read, "Girls Kick Ass". _This girl's really got an attitude_. Logan smirked. Looking left and right of him, he carefully picked the lock open to her bedroom door. _I'll just find what I'm looking for, then leave._

------

Storming out the backyard, she saw the blonde guy that had tried to hit on her just a few minutes ago, standing between the two quarreling guys, trying to stop them from fighting.

Max crossed her arms. "I see you've got everything under control." With that, she began walking back towards the house.

Sebastian and Sung looked nervously at each other then at Bling, for their plan had backfired on them. They were simply supposed to distract Max so that Logan could get something from her, apparently, something important.

Stalling time, Bling abruptly grabbed Max on the shoulder. She turned and said, "You know, I've it up to here with guys touching me today."

He let go quickly. "Sorry. I... uh, I'm Bling. Logan's friend. Logan's mentioned you once or twice."

Max raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

Bling nodded.

Max stopped where she was, much to Bling's relief. "What exactly did he say about me?"

"He..uh.. he said..," stuttering, he turned towards Sebastian and Sung for help.

"- that you were sweet...," said Sung while straightening up.

"- smart...," Bling cut in.

"- and uh... cute," Sebastian said quickly.

Both Bling and Sung turned to Sebastian, giving him nasty looks, reminding themselves to beat him up afterwards for saying that.

Max looked impressed. "Really?" All three of them nodded their heads. "And where is he now?" she asked curiously.

Sebastian and Sung both looked at Bling. _Bastards._ He thought.

"Restroom."

"I just might have to **thank** him for calling me 'cute'." she quipped and walked away. "It was nice meeting you guys."

After she left, Bling and Sung slapped Sebastian on the head. "You idiot!"

Having watched the entire scene, Sam was quite amused. He hurried over to the three friends, hoping they'd know more about Max and this guy, Logan.

_Interesting friends this guy, Logan has._ Max laughed. _So he thinks I'm cute, huh?_ She mused as she walked up the stairs to make sure no one had sneaked up.

Max stopped dead on her tracks as she saw Logan in front of her bedroom door.

Making sure there'd be no evidence that someone had sneaked into her bedroom, Logan twisted the knob to make sure it was locked. Before he could do it, though, he felt someone standing a few feet away from him. _Oh no. _He gulped.

"What the hell," Max yelled angrily, "DO-YOU-THINK-YOU'RE DOING?!"

-------------------

------

------**A/N: **Ah, another cliffhanger. So sorry.

I'm sure you'd all be able to guess who Sam is by now. Hm...blonde, tall? I'm not giving away anymore hints. LOL.

Many thanks goes out to my beta, **ML fan**.

The Shadower – It's funny how everyone thinks that I'll make M/L kiss so soon. I would never do that. I believe in tension and angst, they're just fun to write. And it's what M/L's relationship is all about. Thank you so much for the compliments! And I hope you've enjoyed this chapter, too. ML making a comeback? Hm...

NoAngell – Sorry, I scared you with the cliffhanger. Just as I've said before, I intend on building more on the angst thing before making these two lovebirds kiss.

Tara - (smiles) I feel all special now after reading your review. And you're very welcome for keeping your ML fix going. :) :)

Babyangel86 – Now, Logan in a wheelchair was something I never really approved of. I'm into Logan doing some action instead of sitting around all day in front of his comp. Oh, and I don't really know Jade-Tessier, but my beta does and she hasn't heard from her in awhile either. You might wanna try emailing her.

idlehands452 – Good advice. And good point. I never really gave much thought into it. But they _are_ only 17 so I doubt if the bartenders would be handing them pitchers of beers, but they do live in a post-pulse world. Hrm..

Jessica – No kissing...yet.

Bxprincess- Yea, sorry for the wait.

Lolly81- Thanks, I enjoy writing in my AU world.

Debbie – Thanks.

Cat – I'm not so sure if this is the BEST ML fic out there right now, but yea, I try my best and I'm glad you like it.

Bob – You've guessed wrong. LoL.

Hermionejanepotter – I'm not gonna stop writing anytime soon so no need to worry. Judging from your username, you're probably an H/Hr fan, right? Hm.. is it a bad idea to tell you that I'm an R/Hr fan? (ducks from flying tomatoes)

Guestyo- Thanks for the um... 17 reviews. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be over 100 reviews right now. LoL. You rock! :D

HuntressK- Whoo, thank you for reviewing...7 times. :) :)

Guevera – Thanks.

Bastgodess – There needs to be more ML writers these days is all I'm saying.

Omgwtf – Ah, you wrote a review... and its for my fic! Thanks.

Malzie X5-892- That I'm not telling, but soon...

Nat452 – Sorry I've left you hanging...again.

GUEVERACALE452- You're still reading! :-)

Anonymous – Thanks for the encouraging review!

**-Jade**


	9. Revelation Part 1

Be warned: Amazingly short meaningless chapter (more or less like a filler) up ahead... but read on anyway. Thank you **ML fan** for beta-ing. Thank **all** for reviewing!

_A/N: Sentences in italics are thoughts of the characters._

**Chapter 9: Revelation Part 1**  
  
"What the hell," Max screamed at the top of her lungs, "DO-YOU-THINK-YOU'RE DOING?!"  
  
She lunged at him, grabbing his neck and pushing up against the wall. Logan hit the wall with an "oof" and held his hands up in surrender.  
  
"W-wr-ong r—rroom," he managed to breathe out.  
  
Max, eyes blazing with fury, released him. "Right, and I'm supposed to believe you?!" she said as her hands went to his jean pockets.  
  
Logan closed his eyes shut and gulped as her hands dug deeper into his pockets and then his rear pockets.  
  
_Nice ass. NO, bad thoughts, Max. Bad thoughts._ After her hands lingered his rear a little longer than necessary, they went up to his white wife beater.  
  
"I-I didn't take anything, I-I swear," he stuttered.  
  
Her hands stopped in mid-motion, resting on his stomach. _Nice abs. Ugh, what's wrong with me?_ "I don't trust you," she said, staring up at him defiantly.  
  
He grabbed her hands and pushed her off of him. "Well, you don't have to because I didn't take anything," he said innocently, backing up towards the stairs.  
  
The bad mood she was already in worsened to its max as she strolled up towards him. "As if a stranger following me around isn't bad enough, he sneaks into my bedroom! A girl has to have some privacy, y'know." She was a foot away from him by now. "So spill it, what is it that you want from me?"  
  
He sighed for a moment then started, "First of all, I'm NOT following you around, it's just a mere coincidence that we just so happen to go to the same beach, AND the same parties. Second of all, I did not, I repeat, did not 'sneak' into your bedroom."  
  
"Yea, and the moon is made out of cheese," she snorted, crossing her arms.  
  
He rolled his eyes and continued, "Anyway, It was an accident. I was simply a little dazed and was trying to find the restroom but stumbled upon your humble abode instead."  
  
She scoffed and then waved a lazy hand for him to continue.  
  
"And..." He took a step closer to her. "Third of all, I do not WANT anything from you, of course not your personal belongings," Logan finished off, quite pleased of himself for covering up everything so well.  
  
"Sweet story, Loogie. But I still don't buy it. You said you were 'dazed'? Well, you don't look so 'dazed' now. You're a terrible liar, you know that?" Max retorted.  
  
_You're busted, Cale._ "Y'know, what is it you got against me anyway?" Logan said, trying to change the subject.  
  
Max's expression was indifferent. _Come to think of it, I don't know._ "'Cause you're a spoiled egotistical rich kid hoping he'd BUY his way out of everything." _Nice one, Max. _  
  
"Oh, so you HATE rich people. And take it out on me because I just so happen to live in a rich neighborhood?"  
  
His anger was boiling up. "But I'm sorry, Max... you don't know me. Money isn't everything. I was hoping you'd know that."  
  
"I never said that!" Max yelled back.  
  
"Oh, it sounds to me like you were!" said Logan, glaring at her.  
  
There was a moment of silence between them. Anger and confusion flew restlessly through their veins. The only noises that heard were the loud hip hop music blasting downstairs.  
  
"Max!"  
  
"WHAT?!" She said through grinded teeth.  
  
"Alec told me I'd find you here," the cheery voice said. He jogged up to her, much to Max's disapproval.  
  
Tearing her gaze off of Logan, it landed on a blonde somebody she had met a few minutes ago. Sighing she said, "What is it now, Sam?" Hoping Logan wouldn't get the wrong idea, she added, "I made it loud and clear... let's see, half an hour ago?... that I'm NOT interested or do you have a short term memory?"  
  
Sam's head motioned towards Logan, clearing ignoring Max's retort. "So you're Logan?" He asked, managing a fake smile.  
  
"Yea, do I know you?" Logan snapped, eyeing the guy with distaste.  
  
Sam rolled his eyes and rested on Max instead. "Not what I'd expected."  
  
That was it.  
  
Logan's bubble had burst. Taking a small step towards the shorter man, he pushed Sam roughly on the chest. "Who do **you** think you are?!"  
  
Grabbing Logan's hand, he replied threateningly, "I wouldn't do that if I were you."  
  
Logan screwed up a frown, and then cracked his knuckles. His free hand went up to punch Sam on the face.  
  
Max had intercepted and seized Logan's clutched up hand as soon as it was an inch away from Sam's face.  
  
"No fighting in the house, parents' orders."  
  
In unison, Logan and Sam both turned to Max with their mouths slightly agape. Sam was in awe, slightly impressed by her strength and attitude.  
  
"Now release each other," she ordered them. _Somehow, that sounded wrong, _she mused.  
  
To Max's surprise, both of them had obeyed. _You're good, Max._ Both men stepped back reluctantly, Sam straightening his leather jacket and Logan patting off imaginary dust particles off of his shoulders.  
  
A fourth party cleared his throat, destroying the livid atmosphere.  
  
Max stormed at her brother, "Alec, upstairs are off limit! And you manage to let these two bozos here walk up without **my** consent! One of whom went into..." She stopped short.  
  
All three men were staring at her, waiting for her to continue. Logan being the most apprehensive.  
  
"Into what?" Alec asked.  
  
Sam raised an eyebrow, listening intently.  
  
"Never mind that," she said abruptly. Logan blew out a breath of relief.  
  
"Let's just go downstairs. This whole night has been too much already," she finished off, meeting Logan's gaze as a new rush of anger radiated through her. _Good for nothing rich kid._  
  
Logan, with difficulty, gave her a nervous smile.  
  
Alec shrugged and said coolly, "Party's on." 

&&&&&&&&&

A/N: The next chapter will be up in a few days... I'll update more often from now on. :) :)  
  
Malzie X5-892 – The answer is in that of the Pilot. Great, I just gave it away.  
  
Babyangel86 – Did jadetessier email you back? I'm really hoping she'd continue. Btw, I don't really have any plans on finishing... this fic will probably be another one of those long-winded stories. But eh, we'll see.  
  
Xxhotteygirl15xX – Thank you for the review. I sent you an email days ago. I would love to hear some of your ideas.  
  
- Jade


	10. Revelation Part 2

  
  
**A/N**: Italics are the thoughts of the characters. ------ 

******Chapter 10: Revelation Part 2**

****

The party lasted well until midnight. Not surprising were the fact that Logan and his friends left a few minutes after his encounter with Max. _Wuss._ Sam, on the other hand, stayed until the party met its lights out when Max declared that everyone clean up their mess and leave.

"Party time over, boys and girls. It's well past some of your curfews. Alec and this little girl here need our beauty sleep." _Since when do I sleep this early?_

Sketchy strolled past Max with two girls around his arms. "Party pooper," he said drunkenly to Max and left through the front door.

Max held the door for the remaining few giving a friendly, "G'night" to those she knew. She groaned as Sam walked up to her for the fourth time that night, not giving up in asking her out.

"Max, I'll see you tomorrow at work?"

"I have no choice now, do I?" She spat.

To her disgust, he grinned. Not sarcastically, but happily as if he had just won a vacation to Hawaii. "Good night, Max."

"Yea, g'night," she mumbled.

"It was nice meeting you!" He turned and shouted.

Max faked a smile, which quickly turned into a scowl. "Give me a break."

"Ooo, who is THAT guy, Max?" asked Kendra.

Before Max could make a retort, Original Cindy interrupted, "Blondie's been all over boo tonight."

"I swear, that guy needs to get his head checked. It doesn't take much brainpower to realize I'm not interested in him."

"I'd say he's pretty nice," Kendra mused.

"Don't you start, Ken."

Storming up the stairs to her bedroom after a not-so-productive night, Max mentally berated the blonde who just wouldn't give up on her.

_I'll see you tomorrow, he says. Who the hell does that guy thinks he is? Try hitting on me one more time, hotshot, and I promise I'll leave a mark somewhere on your body._ Her hand was tightening into a fist.

Max slammed the door to her bedroom and almost instantaneously, plopped down onto her fluff bed. For once in her life, she wasn't restless. Rather, she was exhausted. She listened as crickets chirped from outside her open window. A hush of wind blew towards her, letting her long curly hair tickle her forehead. Max sighed and closed her eyes as her hands went to her stomach. Her thoughts went not to the clean-shaven blonde but to someone with messy spiked up hair.

_Why do I feel so different around him?_ She bit her lip and opened her eyes.

_I wonder what he's doing right now._ That last thought made her entire upper body plop up from her bed.

Max stood up abruptly, rummaging through her various closets, drawers and shelves. To her relief, everything was still in place. _So he wasn't lying after all._

Slowly, she walked towards her bathroom. "Not that I feel any guilty or anything," she said out loud. Original Cindy's voice made its way through her head: "You've got it bad for hotboy."

"Ugh, I'm so sick of everyone saying that."

As a daily routine, she opened her shelf and began with getting out her toothbrush and paste. Recognizing that something was off, she frowned. Opening both shelves, her eyes zoomed but did not find what she was looking for.

Grabbing both shelves, she slammed it shut in fury, walked out of her bedroom and marched towards her brother's room.

"Alec, come out!" Her fist slammed against his bedroom door.

"What is it now, Maxie?" She could hear water trickling.

Hesitating, she shouted, "I need Logan's address."

Immediately, the water stopped trickling and the sound of shower curtains roughly being pulled opened could be heard. There was a loud stomping noise and then a second later came the sound of a squeaking door being pulled open. A few more steps later and Max was found staring at her brother's bare upper body.

Max made a grimace. "At least put some clothes on first," she said as her hands went to extricate the view. Her brother half naked wasn't something she found absolutely striking.

Alec smirked. "Just be lucky I didn't walk out here naked."

Ignoring his wise crack, and rolling her eyes Max went straight to the point, "I need Logan's address."

"Oooh, little Maxie has a crush on little Loogie, is that right?" He said mockingly in a high-pitched voice.

"I need his address," she repeated through grunted teeth.

"So Maxie wants to sneak in on Loogie taking a shower?" Alec continued his jeer.

"ALEC! Cut it out!" she cried.

"Awww, Maxie is all angry over Loogie - ," Alec chuckled with amusement.

As she couldn't take anymore of his ridicule, Max's knee lunged in between both of his legs and onto his most sensitive body part. She smirked triumphantly as she watched him keel over.

She grabbed a handful of his hair, which - to her disgust - was wet. "NOW, will you give me his address, dearest brother?" She asked in a falsely sweet tone.

He gulped and nodded his head in pain. "T-t-wen—t-ty tt-two M-M-Murb-berry," he stuttered.

She smiled and released him. Alec fell to the floor, his hands still covering where Max had hit him.

"Y-you're dd-dead, M-Max."

"What's that you said? You can't take a little pain, soldier?" She replied innocently and walked off. "Thanks for the address, by the way!" She shouted back.

With the warm summer breeze whipping through her face and hair, Max raced towards the other side of Los Angeles. Looking at her watch momentarily, she found that it was already half past midnight. _I'll wake him up if I have to._

She accelerated her motorcycle a little bit more until she was bike to bike with a guy in a red helmet and black leather jacket. Her motorcycle was ahead of his until he caught up with her in a flash. The guy's head motioned towards her and she smiled.

Heading towards her favorite shortcut, she made a rapid right turn in hopes of cutting him off through the other side. Unsurprisingly, there he was. A truck honked its way between them and the guy in the red helmet sped away.

Max frowned in disappointment and hastily sped up her bike again to her original destination, Logan's. A few minutes later, the breeze still whipping through her hair, she slowed down as she reached the street, 'Murberry'.

She stopped in front of a white two-story house, clearly labeled "22 Cale residence" in gold, bold letters on the mailbox. The front lawn was neatly trimmed, as a red Jaguar showcased itself in front of one of three main garages. Two white columns supported the large opulent two front doors. Every other house on the block looked quite the same, if not more impressive.

Max got off her motorcycle, took off her sunglasses and examined the area around her.

"Not half bad, Logan," she mused.

Silently, she pushed her motorcycle a good distance away from the house and crept, catlike, towards the backyard. Her eyes widened in awe. In front of her were an outdoor basketball court, which she assumed was where Alec and Logan first met, and an outsized built-in swimming pool complete with a wooden diving board.

_How can these people live so lavishly even after the pulse?_ She thought curiously.

Her vision focused towards a vast wooden patio that led up to the main floor. Creeping her way up the patio, she picked her way into the glass doors. Quietly sliding the door open, she went into a dimly lit living room and slid the glass door back to its original position.

"Who's there?" A horse voice said in the semi-darkness. Max stopped dead on her tracks and enhanced her night vision to rest on an Asian male, presumably one of Logan's friends she had met during the party, pointing a gun at her. _Why the gun? _She thought alarmingly.

Max swiftly ran up behind him, grabbed his gun out of his hands and knocked him out cold, all without making any noise.

Just then, a flash of light blurred her vision. "Release him!" Before the longhaired male could make out whom she was, Max kicked the flashlight out of his hands and punched him on the face, making him pass out on top of his friend.

_This is all getting too fishy._ She thought as she bit her lip and resumed her fighting stance.

_lllllllllllllllllllllllll_

A/N: The next chapter[s] will be up in a couple of days since my senior year starts in ...7 days!! Arrg. Where has the summer gone?!?

Thanks to my beta: ML fan. Thank you, all my reviewers!! You guys made my day and keep 'em reviews coming. Good or bad? Boring? Say something...anything!!, cuz I need to know. (starts singing and dancing to Marc Anthony's "I need to know")

Bob – I like ML's arguments. It creates tension. ;)

OntheDL – Hey, glad you've enjoyed my story, and keep readin!

Babyangel86 – I'll try emailing her. Guess you'll have to settle for regular updating then... longer chapters take too long to write.

SkyAngel, bitterlullabies – Thanks a bunch.

Abby – Hmm...the part where Logan accidentally spills his drink onto Max is interesting...I'll have to look back on that. :) I'll try emailing you again, then.

Malzie X5-892, idlehands452. somebody's dark angel, huntress k – mucho thanks for still reading. :) :)

- Jade


	11. Revelation Part 3

  
  
**A/N**: Sentences in _italics_ are the thoughts of the characters. Once again, I _borrowed_ a few lines from my favorite episode (as you can tell), the Pilot. This is quite possibly one of my favorite chapters, too.

* * *

**Chapter 11: Revelation Part 3**  
  
A flash of light blurred her vision. "Release him!" Before the longhaired male could make out whom she was, Max kicked the flashlight out of his hands and punched him on the face, making him pass out on top of his friend.  
  
_This is all getting too fishy._ She thought as she bit her lip and resumed her fighting stance.  
  
A familiar voice made her stop dead on her tracks. "Good job, Max," the husky voice told her in a slightly amused tone.  
  
"Now turn around," he demanded.  
  
"As long as you don't have a gun pointing at my face," Max quipped.  
  
She bent her head and could make out her own silhouette on the hardwood floor from his flashlight. He was a good distance away from her. _Good._ A second later, she heard him say, "Deal."  
  
Max put her hands down and slowly turned around to face him, who was clad in the same wife beater and jeans from when she had last saw him. To her surprise, he had a look of fright on his features. "Now, Logan..."  
  
The remaining few words were muffled by a rough hand that tightened around her mouth. "Bling! It's all right. I just need to talk to her." Logan gave his best friend a hard look, who seemed to understand his gesture.  
  
"Do me a favor and get Sung and Sebastian out of here," he said coolly.  
  
Bling's hand loosened on her mouth. Almost immediately, Max heatedly pushed him away from her, making him land on the floor on his bottom. "Do that to me again, I won't promise you that your ass won't be kicked," she threatened.  
  
Bling stood up abruptly and tightened his fist. "I'm doing this for you, Logan not for anyone else." He eyed Max and hastily strolled pass her to wake his two friends out of unconsciousness. He slapped Sung, who awakened to frantic shouts, "Logan! Logan! Intruder!"  
  
Sebastian, who was lying on top of Sung the entire time, rolled over, bumping his head on the hardwood. "Who? Wha?"  
  
"Bling! Intruder!"  
  
"Snap out of it, you guys! It's pathetic," Bling cried.  
  
Disgusted by the scene, Logan groaned and put his head on his hands, shaking the all throughout the exchange. _It's a mistake getting them into this._  
  
Max, on the other hand, tried not to muffle a snigger.  
  
Sebastian's arm over his shoulder and Sung's arm on his other, Bling scurried them off, all the while trying to get them to shut up. "This'll never work," Bling sighed.  
  
"Thanks a lot, Bling," replied Logan as his hands left his head, leaving his hair sticking up at random.  
  
He looked at Max, who had her arms around her chest. She raised an eyebrow and said, "Care to explain?"  
  
Logan sighed. "Can we do it in my room?"  
  
"Get rid of that gun and I will. I tend to get nervous around those things," she indicated.  
  
Logan stared down at the gun on his pockets. "Oh, um... sorry." He took out a key from his pockets and opened a drawer with a lamp atop. Inside the drawer, to Max's shock, was more ammunition. Logan laid the gun atop all the other ones and carefully locked the drawer back into place.  
  
Logan felt Max staring at him. "Parents aren't home often," he answered the unasked question.  
  
Max simply nodded her head, suddenly feeling sorry for him.  
  
"C'mon, you know more than you need to know about me, it's about time I know some stuff about you," he started towards the stairs.  
  
Max stayed where she was. "Correction: I don't KNOW you, and you DON'T know me. All that that just happened out there wasn't just a coincidence."  
  
"I always knew you were smart," he smirked.  
  
Max frowned. "I'm not letting it go this easily."  
  
"Fine," he said simply. Approaching her, he grabbed her arm and practically dragged her up the stairs.  
  
_She's not letting go. Good._  
  
_Why am I not letting go?_  
  
Logan flicked open the lights to a maroon hallway that revealed family photos and various exquisite artwork.  
  
"Bought the paintings myself," he said triumphantly.  
  
"Lovely," she said mockingly. _Spoiled brat._  
  
Logan gave her hard look and stopped in front of a door that was slightly ajar. The door was neatly decorated with a bumper sticker that read, "X-Files – The Truth is out There" and a poster of a young Gillian Anderson.  
  
"Obsessed, are we?"  
  
"It's Scully, how could you possibly not like her?!" Logan pushed the door open.  
  
"I never said that." Max walked in and observed the room, which was considerably twice the size of her own. The walls, like the hallway, were a deep shade of maroon. A couple of unknown paintings hung around the neatly polished room. What did catch her attention were the cabinets of files and papers propped up against the wall next to a table with a flat-screen computer and two TV sets. A bulletin board on the wall held newspaper clippings and articles, which Max was too distracted with other things to read. Wires, headphones and an assorted butch of other gadgets hung near the computer table. It looked as if he had an office in his very own bedroom.  
  
"So you watch the X-files?" Logan asked as he let her in and locked the door behind them.  
  
"What annoyed me the most was why it took Scully and Mulder so long to get together," she said distractingly while obscuring her surroundings.  
  
He thought for a moment, and then said, "Beats me."  
  
Logan let her to his computer chair, loosening his grip on her arm on the way. Max sat down and glanced at her arm, which she had problem with Logan holding onto it the entire time. The absence of his touch didn't feel right, or so she thought.  
  
Logan pulled up an extra chair and sat facing her.  
  
Their eyes met.  
  
"So you wanna know what's been going on?" he said slowly, her intent gaze making him somewhat uncomfortable.  
  
Something clicked inside Max and for a moment, she remained silent, putting two and two together.  
  
Logan somehow knew what she was up too and when she said it, there it was –  
  
"You're Eyes Only," she said skeptically.  
  
He didn't say anything. 

"No, you're much too young and spoiled for it," Max said aloud. Inside, she was debating.  
  
Logan ran a hand through his hair and remained speechless. _For a second there, I thought she'd figured it out._  
  
"You're one of those informants for Eyes Only, right? Those so-called freedom fighters?" she said more certainly this time, staring almost through him but not succeeding. _He must be, explains all the clippings on Edgar Sonrisa,_ she thought as she gazed up at the bulletin board.  
  
Logan was almost certain she would figure out everything, but she didn't. He didn't know whether he should be happy or disappointed. Most likely both.  
  
He went with the fifth and replied, "Something like that."  
  
"Well, well. I knew there was more to you than charm and good looks, Mr. Logan Cale," Max joked. _Did I just say 'good looks'? Max, you're falling._  
  
_She thinks I'm good looking?_  
  
Trying not to blush, Logan said seriously, "Yeah, well, there is a lot to more to people than you seem to think you know. The same goes for you." He watched as her expression changed.  
  
"I know who you are, Max," he said, his tone even.  
  
She broke their gaze. "I don't know what you're talking about, Logan."  
  
"Come off it, Max... you can't hide this forever," Logan pleaded.  
  
She stood up and bent down to his level. "This is all a bunch of crap. You hear me? C-R-A-P. CRAP." She paced the room. "Here I was, getting along fine with you, completely forgetting what I was here for in the first place, when you HAD to break the moment."  
  
She put her hands on his shoulders. "I'm not taking anymore of this. I've had enough of you for one day."  
  
"So give me back my pills," she said as calmly as possible.  
  
"Why are the pills so important to you?" he asked, pulling her hands away and standing up.  
  
"Why did you decide to steal it from me?" Max asked back.  
  
"'Cause I had to see you."  
  
"Yeah, right," she scoffed. "You'd think a guy who's taken over the job of saving the world would have a few more important things to do than traipse around after some girl."  
  
"Max, I haven't been able to get you off my mind."  
  
They stood facing each other now, similar to the time on the beach when they would have kissed each other had not Alec interrupted them.  
  
Their bickering was overpowering them and they knew it.  
  
Logan bent his head perpendicular to her neck as Max swallowed a piece of lump on her throat and closed her eyes. _Bingo._  
  
"Suppose I could help you locate the other ones?" He whispered in her ear.  
  
She opened her eyes. _How can he know?_ "I don't know what kind of game you're playing here, but I'm out because you're a wack-job." With that, Max turned and headed towards the door.  
  
Once again, Logan grabbed her arm. "Those pills. They're not just any pills, are they? They're tryptophan. Or more precisely, should I call them a neurotransmitter sometimes used in homeopathy to control seizures? Yes, that sounds just about right."  
  
Turning around, she frowned and said, "Don't try to get smart on me. I use those for an energy boost, nothing else."  
  
"I watched you beat down my three best friends, including my ex-girlfriend, Asha."  
  
Max shrugged. "Girls kick ass. You've seen it... it says so on my bedroom door. And Asha, well, she was asking for it."  
  
"Then how do you explain that barcode on the back of your neck?"  
  
"It's called a tattoo," she said, putting stress on the last word and then added, "Part of a bet I made with a few friends." With that she unlocked the door and opened it.  
  
_Why must you be so stubborn?_ Logan took a deep breath. "You're one of the twelve that escaped from Project Manticore, which was using recombinant DNA to produce a superior human...a warrior...an advanced infantry soldier, back in '09," he said quietly.  
  
Her back facing Logan, Max took in every word he had just said. _Twelve, which meant that there was a possibility that Zack, Tinga, Syl, Krit and everyone would still be alive._ "Twelve?" She repeated aloud. _It has been seven years since I last saw them._ Max choked back tears that were threatening to fall, not realizing that Logan was walking up to her.  
  
"I know who you're running from, Max. I promise I'll help you, if you'd let me."  
  
Not knowing what he was doing, Logan stood facing her and wrapped his arms around her waist, giving her a comforting hug. Max being Max would usually move away, but being as hearing about her family would make her emotional, hugged him back, much to Logan's surprise. _Maybe she's not so tough after all. She IS just a seventeen girl, a year younger than I am..._ Logan smiled. Max moved her head to rest against his chest, hands clinging onto the front of his shirt, as Logan bent his head down to kiss the top of her head, the aroma of her shampoo mesmerizing him. Max, absorbed by his accelerated heartbeat, sighed against him. Touched by her show of affection, Logan held onto her tighter, cradling her in his arms.  
  
Somehow, the future didn't matter anymore. Right now was enough. Max smiled and closed her eyes.

* * *

A/N: I know what you're thinking. It's the end of the story! Noooo. Actually, it's not the end, sorry. (muahahah) Anywho, hope you all enjoyed it so far. There's more where that came from.

Thanks to my beta: ML fan.

Thanks to my reviewers (what's with the 'angel' usernames? lol): Babyangel86, idlehands452, huntress k, bxprincess, Somebody's Dark Angel, Sky Angel, BlueAngel137, ChocRocks.

Next chapter will be up..._soon_. In the meantime, review like crazy... :)

-Jade


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